Is home care cheaper than a nursing home?

For part-time help, almost always. On CareScout's 2025 Delaware medians, a nursing home costs far more per month than several hours of home care a day. Care around the clock at home can cost as much as a facility, or more.

Does Medicare pay for a nursing home?

Only for a short skilled stay. Medicare covers up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility in each benefit period after a qualifying hospital stay. It doesn't pay for long-term custodial care when that's the only care needed.

Can my parent move from home care to assisted living later?

Yes. Many families start with a few hours of home care and change the plan as needs change. Home care can also help in the weeks before and after a move.

Can someone get home care in assisted living?

Some families add a private caregiver for extra hours or company in assisted living. If Medicaid is involved, ask the plan first, because the rules for services in assisted living are different.

Home Care vs Assisted Living vs Nursing Home

When a parent can't manage alone anymore, families usually weigh three choices: help at home, assisted living, or a nursing home. Each one fits a different level of need. Here's how they compare in Delaware, including what each costs.

What's the difference between home care, assisted living, and a nursing home?

Home care sends a caregiver to your loved one's own home to help with bathing, dressing, meals, and company, for as many hours as they need. Assisted living is a residence with an apartment, meals, and help with daily tasks, for people who don't need skilled nursing. A nursing home gives continuous nursing care under a doctor's orders.

Home care. Your loved one stays in their own house, with their own routine. A caregiver comes for a few hours a day, overnight, or around the clock. See what home care includes.
Assisted living. Delaware's rules describe it as housing and care for people who are medically stable and don't need skilled nursing. Residents usually have their own apartment and share meals.
Nursing home. Delaware licenses nursing facilities to provide nursing services around the clock, with a registered nurse on staff. It's for people with serious medical needs or who need constant care.

How do they compare?

	Home care	Assisted living	Nursing home
Where	Your loved one's own home	A residence, usually a private apartment	A licensed nursing facility
Level of care	Non-medical help with daily life	Daily help, meals, some oversight	Around-the-clock nursing
Hours of help	You choose, from a few hours to 24	Staff on site all day	Staff on site all day
Independence	Highest	Moderate	Lowest
How it's priced	By the hour	Monthly fee	Daily rate
Delaware Medicaid	Can cover care at home for people who qualify	Ask the plan what it covers	Can cover nursing home care for people who qualify

What does each cost in Delaware?

CareScout's 2025 cost of care survey is the most-cited public source for Delaware.

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.

In the same CareScout 2025 survey, the Delaware median for assisted living was $7,600 a month. A nursing home was a median $477 a day for a semi-private room and $498 a day for a private room.

The comparison depends on hours. A few hours of home care a day costs well under a month of assisted living. Care at home around the clock can cost more than either facility, because every hour is one-on-one. For a full breakdown of home care costs, read how much home care costs in Delaware.

When is home care the better fit?

Home care usually fits best when your loved one:

Needs help with some parts of the day, like a shower, meals, or getting dressed
Wants to stay in their own home, near their neighbors and church
Has family nearby who can cover some hours
Has early memory changes and does better with a familiar place and routine. See dementia care at home.

When does a facility make more sense?

We'll be honest: home care isn't always the answer. A facility may make more sense when your loved one needs skilled nursing many times a day, needs two people to move them safely around the clock, or wanders at night in a way the home can't make safe. It also makes sense when the cost of 24-hour care at home is more than the family can manage.

If you're not sure, talk to your loved one's doctor. You can also call the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-223-9074 for free advice about every option.

How do Delaware families pay for each?

Home care. Private pay, long-term care insurance, or Delaware Medicaid long-term care for people who qualify. See how Medicaid home care works.
Assisted living. Mostly private pay or long-term care insurance. If Medicaid is involved, ask the plan exactly what it will and won't pay for.
Nursing home. Private pay, long-term care insurance, or Delaware Medicaid for people who qualify. Medicare pays only for a short skilled stay after a hospital stay, up to 100 days in a benefit period, and not for long-term custodial care.

How Reliable Aid helps

We provide non-medical home care across New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties, from a few hours a week to overnight and 24-hour care. We work with private-pay families and all three Delaware Medicaid plans. If you're weighing home care against a move, we'll tell you plainly what home care can and can't cover for your family.

Call (302) 689-3240 for a free consultation, or visit our Dover office.

Home care vs. assisted living vs. nursing home in Delaware

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