In-Home Care Costs and Ways to Pay
In-home care is paid by the hour. In 2025 the median cost of a non-medical caregiver in California was $40 an hour, against $35 across the US. Here is what that means near our offices, what a visit or a month adds up to, and how families pay.
For Care-on-Call's current rates, call your nearest office. The consultation is free.
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Hourly cost near our offices
These are 2025 median rates for a non-medical caregiver from a home care agency: half the agencies surveyed charged more, half charged less.
| Area | Per hour | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose area | $44 | $8,389 |
| San Francisco area | $43 | $8,199 |
| Sacramento area | $40 | $7,627 |
| Solano County, including Vacaville | $40 | $7,627 |
| Napa County | $44 | $8,389 |
| California | $40 | $7,627 |
| United States | $35 | $6,673 |
Source: CareScout, Cost of Care Survey 2025. Monthly figures assume 44 hours of care a week, as CareScout calculates them.
How the hours add up
Care-on-Call visits are at least four hours long. At California's 2025 median of $40 an hour, common schedules come to:
A 4-hour visit: $160- An 8-hour shift: $320
- A 12-hour shift: $480
- 4 hours a day, 5 days a week: $800 a week
- 24-hour care, as two 12-hour shifts a day: $960 a day
Your cost depends on the care needed, the schedule and where you live. Call us for our rates for your schedule. Our 24-hour care page explains how around-the-clock shifts work.
Ways to pay
Private pay
Care-on-Call is mainly private pay: families pay us directly for care.
Long-term care insurance
We accept eligible long-term care insurance and can provide detailed invoices and supporting documents for your claims. In California, a long-term care policy that covers home care can't limit its benefits to Medicare-certified agencies or require "medical necessity", and it must include respite care (Insurance Code 10232.9). Check your policy for its waiting period and daily limit.
VA Aid & Attendance
We accept VA Aid & Attendance benefits. Aid and Attendance adds to a VA pension for veterans and survivors who need another person's help with daily activities such as bathing, eating and dressing (VA). From December 1, 2025, the yearly pension limit with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents and $34,488 for a veteran with a spouse (VA pension rates).
What Medicare, Medi-Cal and IHSS pay for
Medicare doesn't pay for 24-hour care at home, or for personal care such as bathing and dressing when that's the only care someone needs. It can pay for part-time skilled nursing or therapy at home from a Medicare-certified home health agency (Medicare.gov).
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is California's Medi-Cal program for people who are 65 or older, blind or disabled and need help to stay at home. A county social worker assesses what help is needed, and the county decides how many hours it will pay for. The person getting care hires and supervises their own caregiver, often a family member or relative. (California Department of Social Services, Legislative Analyst's Office)
Care-on-Call doesn't bill Medicare, Medi-Cal or IHSS for our standard home care. Private care can be used alongside these programs, for example for hours IHSS doesn't cover.
Call your nearest office
(408) 857-1872Ask us about rates for your schedule
Tell us who needs care and how many hours a week. The consultation is free.
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