EPISODE 11- Home Care vs. Assisted Living: What’s Right for Your Family?

Choosing between caregiving at home or assisted living is one of the most emotional—and financially complex—decisions families face.

In this episode, Jamie Callahan breaks down the real costs and considerations of each option, offering practical guidance for families navigating these critical choices.

She covers:

• When in-home caregiving makes the most sense
• How caregiver registries compare to agencies
• Why assisted living is often less expensive than home care
• Red flags that make placement in memory care more difficult
• The high costs of waiting too long to make a decision

Whether you're trying to keep a loved one at home or exploring long-term care, this episode helps you make an informed and empowered decision.

📞 Questions? Call Team Senior at (541) 295-8230.

Transcript

Hi, this is Jamie Callahan with the Team Senior Podcast. Our goal is to simplify aging. Society grooms us to plan for retirement, but what about life beyond retirement, where the rubber meets the road? Perhaps you've had a stroke, been diagnosed with cancer, or maybe you're forgetting things and now have dementia. That's our area of expertise, and we are here to share our insight.

Hello, this is Jamie Callahan with Team Senior. Today we’re going to talk about a very hot topic that causes folks a lot of angst—in their home, in the hospital, and in the phone calls I get—and that is whether to pursue caregiving at home or consider assisted living.

We’ll discuss the benefits and disadvantages of both. It's important to note: we support people living at home for as long as possible. We've helped families make it work, sitting around the table with spouses, adult children, and friends, trying to make the right decision.

Some believe mom needs assisted living. Others believe caregiving at home is best. It often comes down to what you can afford, the real challenges involved, and how long your money will last.

Let me share one example. A family was considering memory care because mom had gone missing three or four times recently. They lived in a rural area near a river. Search and rescue had to be called each time. She was always found, but the fear was growing.

While discussing memory care, the husband—her partner of 50 or 60 years—was very opposed. They still had a loving relationship. He couldn’t imagine living without her.

They didn’t need full caregiving yet. We helped them hire a fencing company to secure the property. Later, they brought in a couple of caregivers. It was still much more affordable than memory care. Assisted living starts around $4,500/month. Memory care starts around $8,000/month.

If you can keep a loved one home with minimal caregiving, there are big benefits. Everyone wants to stay home. But sometimes other options must be considered.

Bringing a caregiver into your home can feel risky. But when you hire through an agency or registry, they are background checked. It’s not a full safeguard, but it helps.

Caregiving costs range from $20 to $75 an hour. Independent caregivers might charge $20–25/hour. Registries often charge the same. Agencies, especially since COVID, now charge at least $40/hour, often $45 or more. Wound care or tube feeding can cost $65–75/hour.

Registries are typically the most affordable option with vetted caregivers.

The biggest benefit of hiring a caregiver or moving to assisted living is removing the caregiving burden from family members. This allows the spouse or child to simply be family again. Often, a caregiving spouse will eventually break down physically or emotionally. That’s not sustainable.

Some assume assisted living is more expensive than caregiving—but that’s often not true. At $35/hour, just 8 hours a day costs $8,400/month—more than many assisted living communities. Round-the-clock care at $35/hour is over $25,000/month.

For high care needs, we often recommend adult foster homes. If someone needs two-person transfers, in-bed bathing, or tube feeding, foster homes are more affordable. They typically cost $5,000–8,000/month.

In assisted living, spouses can often live together. The spouse usually pays $800–1,000/month for meals and utilities. If the resident pays $6,000/month, the spouse joins for a nominal fee.

Independent living is another option for those needing only light help—housekeeping, laundry, or meds. It often costs $2,500–3,500/month, comparable to staying at home when factoring in rent, food, and utilities.

Who pays? 90% of the time, it’s out-of-pocket. Long-term care insurance, Medicaid, or VA benefits can help, but Medicare does not cover it.

Supplemental insurance might pay for short-term home care post-surgery, but that’s rare.

Now, timing is key. Especially with dementia, waiting too long can backfire. Moving someone with dementia can cause “slide back”—a temporary or permanent decline.

Don’t wait until your loved one’s needs are so great that facilities won’t accept them. Communities have many applicants. If someone has behavior issues or needs a lot of care, they may not be accepted.

Often, these behaviors only show up at the hospital—a stressful place with machines, noise, and constant vitals. That stress can trigger behaviors that get documented, making placement more difficult.

We had a family delay memory care. The loved one ended up in the hospital for weeks. His behaviors worsened and were documented, and memory care communities refused to accept him.

People often say, “I don’t want to move them yet—it’s $8,500/month.” But if you wait and end up needing emergency support or supplemental caregiving, you might spend $10–15K/month or more.

24/7 agency caregiving at $45–65/hour can cost $25–60K/month depending on care level.

That’s why we suggest calling the Caregiver Group registry first. Their caregivers are background-checked and lower cost.

If that doesn’t work, we pivot to assisted living. We’ll help you navigate it. Just call us. We’ll get to the root of your needs quickly and match you with the right option.

Thanks for listening. Don’t worry about remembering everything—just our phone number. We answer the phone. If you leave a message, we’ll call back the same day. We won’t leave you hanging in a crisis.

Team Senior: (541) 295-8230. Again, (541) 295-8230.

Until next time, this is Jamie Callahan.