At some point, elderly individuals may require constant supervision and help to perform the activities of daily living. In such cases, around-the-clock home care fulfills this need. The cost of 24-hour or live-in care impacts a family’s decision but varies based on a range of different factors.

Why is 24-hour or live-in home care important?

Home is usually familiar and provides a great deal of security, making this environment a preferable place for seniors to live out their golden years. Surrounded by cherished mementos and possibly having friends nearby, the home offers older adults the desirable opportunity to age in place.

But as seniors grow older, their healthcare needs and ability to carry out daily activities may change. Aging individuals will start to need extra help maintaining the home, providing self-care, and receiving medical care, if necessary. Due to these emerging needs, home care becomes invaluable.

Depending on their current health status, seniors can utilize different types of home care to meet personal care or healthcare needs. A senior who simply requires extra support to cook meals, complete household chores, or drive to a doctor’s office benefits from custodial home care.

Home care is generally nonmedical in nature. Professional caregivers assist the care recipient with a range of personal care tasks, from bathing to grooming and toileting. They also prepare meals, shop for groceries, and provide timely medication reminders to promote the senior’s daily well-being.

However, a senior who is chronically ill due to a debilitating illness may require the services of a 24-hour professional caregiver. Around-the-clock home care means the senior receives constant supervision in the comfort of their home from a rotating team of professional caregivers.

A dementia diagnosis, for example, may require that the senior be monitored at all times. A dementia patient who tends to wander should never be left alone due to safety reasons. Live-in-home care is the best option since the senior avoid becoming disoriented and receives continual supervision.

Qualified 24-hour caregivers working multiple shifts back-to-back deliver care to seniors without interruption. Since caregivers work in eight-hour shifts, they are refreshed and alert, providing the highest quality care with minimal error. Two-to-three caregivers tend to the senior day and night.

How much does around-the-clock home care cost in Illinois?

Considering the uninterrupted level of care provided by 24-hour caregivers, costs are expected to be higher than intermittent home care. However, receiving around-the-clock home care is generally less expensive than admitting the senior to an assisted living facility or nursing home.

Fortunately, many aging adults do not need around-the-clock care until much later in life. But when 24-hour care becomes necessary, families can expect to pay approximately $20,000 per month (the national average) for either 24-hour companion care or 24-hour home health care.

When broken down, the approximate hourly cost for a 24-hour companion caregiver is between $28-$32. The average hourly cost for a 24-hour home health caregiver is $28. The costs are similar, with around-the-clock home health care costs being slightly higher as expected, due to the skilled care provided.

The national average cost for 24-hour home care fluctuates up or down when it comes to the costs for the same services in different states. Around-the-clock home care costs differ between states because they are based on the wages of caregivers.

In Illinois, the hourly rate for 24-hour home care is $28, while the monthly cost for these services totals $20,160. The price for 24-hour home care is for eight hours of work per caregiver shift. These costs cover multiple caregivers rotating eight-hour shifts each day and night.

While costs for around-the-clock home care are high, the quality of care received is also high. Twenty-four-hour caregivers provide focused, one-on-one attention to the care recipient, thereby ensuring all care needs are fully met. Facilities simply cannot provide this level of personal care to each resident.

Around-the-clock care has its costs, whether the family chooses home care or nursing home care. Still, 24-hour or live-in home care is often the best option. Paying for home care can be done in numerous ways, as funds are available from government programs and insurance policies.

Three useful government resources families can utilize to pay for home care including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Aid and Attendance Benefit for Veterans. Eligibility criteria apply; however, eligible seniors can benefit from the financial support provided by these government organizations.

Also helpful as financial resources are long-term care insurance and life insurance settlements. Insurance policies stipulate that long-term in-home care must precede the purchase of the policy. Life insurance settlements may allow the policyholders to take their settlements early.

About Assisting Hands:

Whether a senior would benefit from 24-hour care or live-in care, Assisting Hands Home Care is available to deliver the required care needs. Our professional caregivers are trained to support seniors in the comfort of their homes while providing constant supervision and compassionate care.

During each shift, our 24-hour caregivers remain awake, ready to respond to emergencies or urgent care needs. Caregivers alternate every 8 to 12 hours and do not need a space to sleep in the home. Seniors with chronic conditions who require continual supervision benefit from 24-hour care.

Live-in care from Assisting Hands Home Care also meets the care needs of seniors. Our caregivers take turns living in the senior’s home, helping with personal care routines during days and nights. Our live-in care option is ideal for seniors returning from the hospital or who must not remain alone.

Responsibilities our caregivers undertake in both 24-hour care and live-in care include assistance with bathing, grooming, and toileting. We provide transportation to doctors’ appointments and give timely medication reminders. Caregivers also serve as pleasant companions, deterring social isolation and loneliness.

Families with seniors living in Palos Heights, Illinois, trust Assisting Hand Home Care to deliver the highest level of around-the-clock home care. Our care options are flexible and can be customized to meet their unique care needs. Call today to schedule an in-home consult and begin quality home care.

Call us for Free Consultation at (773) 694 2677