Senior care options in Delaware: home care, day programs, and residential care
Short answer
Delaware families have six main options: home care, home health, adult day programs, assisted living, nursing homes, and memory care. The right one depends on how much help your loved one needs and whether they need medical care. For most people who need help with daily tasks, care at home comes first. The Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center gives free advice at 1-800-223-9074.
Last updated · Reviewed by Reliable Aid care team
When a parent starts needing more help, it's hard to know where to begin. Delaware has several kinds of senior care, and each one fits a different stage. Here's a plain map of the options, how to choose, and who pays.
What kinds of senior care are there in Delaware?
Delaware families have six main options. Home care brings help into the house. Home health brings medical care into the house. Adult day programs offer care and company during the day. Assisted living, nursing homes, and memory care units are places to live with care on site.
- Home care. A caregiver comes to the house to help with bathing, dressing, meals, getting around, and company. It's non-medical, and you choose the hours. See home care services.
- Home health. Nurses or therapists visit at home for medical care, like wound care or physical therapy, after a doctor orders it. It's usually short-term. See home care vs. home health.
- Adult day programs. Your loved one spends the day at a center with activities, meals, and supervision, then comes home at night. They're a good fit when family works during the day.
- Assisted living. An apartment in a residence with meals and help with daily tasks, for people who don't need skilled nursing.
- Nursing homes. Round-the-clock nursing care in a licensed facility, for people with serious medical needs.
- Memory care. A secure unit, often inside assisted living or a nursing home, for people with advanced dementia.
Which one fits your loved one?
Start with what your loved one needs help with, and when.
| If your loved one… | Often a good fit |
|---|---|
| Needs help with a shower, meals, or dressing, but is safe alone part of the day | Home care for a few hours a day |
| Is recovering from surgery and needs therapy or a nurse | Home health, often with home care between visits |
| Is lonely or unsafe alone while family works | Adult day program or companion care at home |
| Needs help throughout the day but no nursing | More hours of home care, or assisted living |
| Needs nursing care many times a day | Nursing home |
| Has advanced dementia and wanders | Memory care, or 24-hour care at home |
These are starting points, not rules. Many families combine options, like an adult day program on weekdays and a caregiver in the evenings. For a closer look at the three most common choices, read home care vs. assisted living vs. nursing home.
How is senior care paid for in Delaware?
- Delaware Medicaid long-term care (DSHP Plus). For people who qualify medically and financially. It can cover care at home, respite, adult day services, home-delivered meals, emergency response buttons, small home changes like grab bars, and nursing home care. Each person's plan approves the services. See how Medicaid home care works.
- Medicare. Pays for short-term skilled care, like home health or a short nursing home stay after a hospital visit. It doesn't pay for long-term help with daily tasks. Read does Medicare pay for home care.
- Private pay and long-term care insurance. Many families pay out of pocket, or use a long-term care policy.
- Veterans benefits. Some veterans qualify for help with care at home through the VA. Ask the VA what applies. Reliable Aid doesn't bill the VA.
What it costs depends on the setting and hours. See how much home care costs in Delaware.
Where can you get free advice?
The Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center is the state's front door for senior services. You can call it at 1-800-223-9074 or email it. It can explain your options, help you find services near you, and tell you how to apply for Medicaid long-term care.
Your loved one's doctor, or a hospital discharge planner after a hospital stay, can also help you decide what level of care is safe.
Home care with Reliable Aid
We're a Black-owned, family-run home care agency in Dover. Our caregivers help seniors at home with bathing, dressing, meals, getting around, and company, in homes across New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties. We offer everything from a few hours a week to overnight and 24-hour care. We work with private-pay families and all three Delaware Medicaid plans.
Find us in your area: Wilmington, Dover, Milford, Seaford, or see all areas. Call (302) 689-3240 for a free consultation.
Questions
Where can I get free advice about senior care in Delaware?
Call the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-223-9074. It's the state's starting point for information and referrals for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
What's the difference between home care and home health?
Home care is help with daily life, like bathing and meals. Home health is medical care at home, like nursing or therapy, ordered by a doctor. Many families use both.
Can my parent stay at home if they have dementia?
Often, yes, especially in the earlier stages. A familiar caregiver and a steady routine help. As needs grow, families add hours or look at memory care.
What senior care does Delaware Medicaid cover?
For people who qualify for long-term care, Delaware Medicaid can cover care at home, adult day services, respite, and nursing home care, among other services. Each person's plan approves what they get.
Sources
- Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center
- 16 DE Admin. Code 3225, Assisted Living Facilities (Delaware Regulations)
- 16 DE Admin. Code 3201, Skilled and Intermediate Care Nursing Facilities (Delaware Regulations)
- Home health services (Medicare.gov)
- DSHP Plus home and community-based services, clinical policy DE.CP.MP.02 (Delaware First Health)