St. Louis, MO-IL Home Health Care Options
Why Choose Home Care
Home Care is Your Most Affordable Option. It is Also Your Safest Option.
What are your options?
Following a hospitalization, one may temporarily stay at a skilled nursing facility. This short stay is usually funded by your Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan. The goal is to regain enough independence to return home. If one needs ongoing help, they begin researching options including long-term care/nursing home, assisted living and home care. Sometimes, it is assumed that nursing home care is the least expensive, and home care the most expensive. When you understand these options in detail, you learn that is not necessarily true.
Use our guide to learn about three main long-term care options, including facts, myths, and average costs of each. We also compare the cost of using a home care company versus privately hiring your caregiver.
Which one to choose
Home Care vs. Skilled Nursing Facilities
Home Care vs. Assisted Living Facilities
Home Care From a Company vs. Hiring Your Own Caregiver
Myth: Medicare will pay for 100% of your nursing home stay.
Medicare may pay for the first 20 days if you have a need for skilled nursing or therapy services (often it is much less than 20 days). After this, you pay out-of-pocket. If your aging parent qualifies for Medicaid, some nursing homes accept Medicaid. Long-term care insurance may also pay for a portion.
Average daily cost: $260/day.
One nurse and one aide caring for many patients.
Myth: Medicare and/or Medicaid will pay for assisted living.
Not true. Long-term care insurance may cover a portion; VA Aid and Attendance pension (if you qualify) may cover a portion; the majority is self pay.
Average daily cost: $135/day plus additional expenses based on care needs and amenities.
If you need assistance, you will pay additional hourly rates for caregiver services to supplement your basic care.
Myth: It is less expensive and easier to hire your own caregiver.
Beware: hiring your own caregiver may seem less expensive, but suddenly you are also vulnerable to a host of problems including Workers Comp, tax, fraud, abuse, neglect, and inexperience liabilities. Additionally, it is a significant time commitment to hire and employ a private caregiver, and they are not able to provide skilled medical services.
Cost: A consistent hourly rate vs. unknown, unpredictable expenses.
Receive one-on-one care from your home care company, and pay only for what you need. The alternative is uncertain.
