How much does home care cost in Delaware?
Short answer
The most-quoted figure is CareScout's 2025 survey of Delaware agencies, which gives a statewide median hourly cost for a non-medical caregiver. Your total depends mostly on how many hours a week your loved one needs. Delaware Medicaid long-term care can pay for home care for people who qualify. Medicare generally doesn't pay for ongoing help with daily tasks. For a quote for your family, call (302) 689-3240.
Last updated · Reviewed by Reliable Aid care team
Before families ask who will care for Mom, they usually ask what it will cost. Here's what Delaware families pay for home care, what changes the bill, and who can help pay for it.
What does home care cost per hour in Delaware?
The best public figure is CareScout's annual cost of care survey. It's the survey most news stories and senior-care sites quote.
CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the Delaware median for a non-medical caregiver at $35 an hour. That is $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week. CareScout collected the figures from July through November 2025. Delaware's numbers came out on March 2, 2026. The median is CareScout's survey number, not Reliable Aid's price.
A median is the middle number. About half of Delaware agencies charge more, and about half charge less. Your hourly rate will depend on the agency and the kind of care.
What does that look like per week?
Most families don't need care 24 hours a day. They need help for the hardest parts of the day, like a morning shower, getting dressed, and lunch. Weekly cost is mostly a question of hours.
At that $35 median, 10 hours a week comes to about $350, 20 hours to about $700, and 40 hours to about $1,400.
These are rough examples built on the survey median, not anyone's actual price. Ask each agency for its own rate and minimums.
What changes the price of home care?
Four things change the bill more than anything else:
- Hours per week. Ten hours and forty hours are very different budgets.
- Length of each visit. Some agencies have a minimum number of hours per visit.
- Nights, weekends, and holidays. These hours can cost more.
- Around-the-clock care. Overnight, 24-hour, and live-in care are priced differently from hourly visits. Ask how each one works.
The kind of help matters too. Companion care, like conversation, meals, and errands, and personal care, like bathing and dressing, are both non-medical home care. Nursing at home is a different service with different pricing.
What does an agency's hourly rate include?
An agency's rate covers more than the caregiver's pay. It also pays for screening, insurance, payroll taxes, scheduling, and a backup when the regular caregiver can't come. If you hire a private caregiver, the hourly rate may be lower, but you take on those costs and jobs yourself. See agency or private caregiver for the full comparison.
Does Delaware Medicaid pay for home care?
Yes, for people who qualify. Delaware Medicaid's long-term care program, Diamond State Health Plan Plus, can cover personal care, respite, and attendant care at home. The person needs to qualify both medically and financially. Their Medicaid plan then approves a number of hours.
If you're wondering whether your loved one would owe any share of the cost, ask the state when you apply, or ask their Medicaid plan.
A regular Medicaid card for doctor visits isn't enough by itself. See how Medicaid home care works in Delaware.
Does Medicare pay for home care?
Mostly no. Medicare pays for part-time skilled nursing or therapy at home when a doctor orders it and the person is homebound. It doesn't pay for ongoing help with bathing, meals, and company when that's the only care needed. Read does Medicare pay for home care in Delaware for the details.
Other ways families pay
- Private pay. Many families pay out of pocket, often for a few hours a week to start.
- Long-term care insurance. Many policies cover care at home. Check the daily benefit and waiting period, and ask the insurer which agencies it pays. Call us before you start care so we can check whether we can work with your policy.
- Veterans benefits. Some veterans qualify for help with care at home through the VA. Reliable Aid doesn't bill the VA, so ask the VA which providers it works with.
- Family sharing the cost. Siblings often split the bill, or split the hours with paid care.
How Reliable Aid helps
We work with private-pay families and with all three Delaware Medicaid plans. We don't charge for the first conversation. Tell us what a normal day looks like and how many hours of help you think your loved one needs, and we'll give you a straight answer on cost.
Call (302) 689-3240 for a free consultation, or visit our Dover office.
Questions
Is there a minimum number of hours?
Many agencies have a minimum visit length. Ask about it when you call. At Reliable Aid, we go over hours and scheduling during the free consultation.
Does home care cost more on nights and weekends?
It can. Some agencies charge more for nights, weekends, or holidays. Ask each agency how they price those hours.
Does long-term care insurance pay for home care?
Many long-term care insurance policies cover care at home. Check your policy for the daily benefit and any waiting period, and ask the insurer how claims work. Call us before you start care so we can check whether we can work with your policy.
Will Medicaid pay a family member to provide the care?
In Delaware, yes, in many cases. When your loved one qualifies for Medicaid long-term care, a relative can be hired by an agency like Reliable Aid as the paid caregiver.