How much does 24-hour home care cost? A guide to 24/7 and live-in care

Does your loved one need help around the clock?

If so, you’re probably wondering: How much does 24-hour home care cost?

The answer depends on how much help your loved one needs, especially overnight.

In this guide, we’ll compare 24-hour and live-in care costs, explain what affects pricing, and share ways to pay for and save on care at home.

About our numbers: Cost figures come from CareScout’s 2025 Cost of Care Survey. We calculated 24-hour and live-in estimates from its median hourly rate, so actual costs vary by location and care needs.

Key takeaways

• 24-hour home care costs about $25,550 a month at the national median rate of $35 an hour.
• Live-in care usually costs less, since sleep and off-duty time can be left out of paid hours.
• Medicare doesn’t cover 24-hour home care, and most families pay out of pocket.
• On Herewith, families set their own rates and can work with one or more Helpers to ensure 24-hour or overnight coverage.

How much does 24-hour home care cost?

At the national median rate, 24-hour home care costs about $25,550 a month. That estimate applies a median of $35 an hour for non-medical in-home care to every hour of the day, year-round.

Here’s how that figure breaks down for continuous care, seven days a week:

• Hourly: $35
• Daily: $840
• Weekly: $5,880
• Monthly: about $25,550

These figures assume a team of caregivers working in shifts, so someone is always awake and available, including overnight.

Your actual costs will depend on where your loved one lives, the type of help they need, and how you arrange care. A few weeks of support after surgery will also cost much less overall than ongoing care for dementia or another long-term condition.

If your loved one doesn’t need someone awake, actively monitoring them through the night, live-in care can be a more affordable option.

What's the difference between 24-hour and live-in care?

With 24-hour care, rotating caregivers stay awake and available around the clock. With live-in care, one caregiver lives in your loved one’s home, works set hours, and gets breaks and time to sleep.

Both options let your loved one stay at home, but they fit different needs.

24-hour home care

During 24-hour care, a team of caregivers works in shifts so someone is always ready to help.

This arrangement tends to fit best when your loved one:

• Needs help getting out of bed or to the bathroom several times a night.
• Has dementia and gets confused or restless at night.
• Is recovering from surgery or a hospital stay and needs close supervision for a few days or weeks.
• Has a high risk of falls or can’t safely be left alone.

Since caregivers cover every hour, you’ll pay for all 24 hours of each day.

Live-in care

In a live-in care arrangement, one caregiver moves into your loved one’s home and helps during agreed-upon working hours. Federal labor rules allow sleep, meal breaks, and off-duty time to be left out of a live-in caregiver’s paid hours, as long as both sides agree and the caregiver has a private place to sleep.

Live-in care can be a good fit when your loved one:

• Needs regular help with bathing, dressing, meals, or housework.
• Feels more at ease with someone nearby.
• Sleeps through most nights without needing help.
• Has a private room where a caregiver can sleep and take breaks.

Keep in mind that a live-in caregiver isn’t on call all night. Any time they’re woken up to help counts as paid work, so if your loved one needs help several times a night, you’ll likely need separate overnight coverage.

How much does live-in care cost?

Live-in care usually costs less than 24-hour care. Since sleep, meals, and off-duty time can be left out of paid hours, families pay only for the hours the caregiver works.

The national cost survey we use doesn’t report a separate rate for live-in care. Here’s how the math works at its median of $35 an hour:

• 8 paid hours: $280 a day, or about $8,520 a month
• 10 paid hours: $350 a day, or about $10,650 a month
• 12 paid hours: $420 a day, or about $12,775 a month

These are example estimates. Your loved one’s actual cost will depend on a few factors:

• Hours of care: How much hands-on help your loved one needs each day.
• Overnight needs: How often the caregiver gets woken up, since that time is paid.
• Pay structure: A daily rate or an hourly rate for scheduled working hours.
• Location: Local caregiver wages and state labor laws, which vary.

Before you agree to an arrangement, ask for a written breakdown of the caregiver’s schedule, paid hours, overnight duties, and any extra costs. That way, you know exactly what you’re paying for and can confirm your loved one will have enough support.

What services are included in 24-hour home care?

Round-the-clock home care covers non-medical help with daily activities, personal care, and supervision, day and night. The exact services depend on your loved one’s needs, but a care plan can include:

• Personal care: Bathing, dressing, grooming, and help using the bathroom.
• Mobility support: Walking, standing, and getting in and out of bed or a chair.
• Meals: Cooking, help with eating, and cleaning up afterward.
• Medication reminders: Prompts to take medications on schedule.
• Companionship: Conversation, activities, and reassurance throughout the day.
• Light housekeeping: Laundry, dishes, and keeping shared spaces tidy.
• Overnight help: Bathroom trips, repositioning, and other non-medical needs during the night.
• Memory care: For older adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s, caregivers can help monitor for falls, wandering, sundowning, and any other household risks.

Your loved one may need more help at certain times of day, like mornings or bedtime. Mapping out their daily routine can help you decide how to schedule care and which services to prioritize.

Non-medical home care doesn’t include skilled nursing. If your loved one needs wound care, injections, or other medical treatment, a licensed healthcare professional has to provide it.

How can you pay for 24-hour home care?

Most families pay for 24-hour home care out of pocket. Insurance and benefit programs can cover part of the cost, but they rarely cover round-the-clock care for long.

Here are the main options to look into:

• Personal savings and income: Savings, pensions, Social Security, and contributions from family members.
• Long-term care insurance: Some policies cover non-medical in-home care. Check your loved one’s policy for eligibility rules, daily benefit limits, and coverage restrictions.
• VA benefits: Veterans and surviving spouses who receive a VA pension may qualify for Aid and Attendance, a monthly payment added to their pension for those who need help with daily activities.
• Medicaid: Every state offers some form of Medicaid home care, including personal care, but eligibility, covered services, and approved hours vary by state.
• Medicare: Original Medicare doesn’t cover 24-hour care at home, or personal care when that’s the only help your loved one needs. It may cover part-time skilled home health services, like nursing or physical therapy, for people who qualify.

Even when a program covers some care, your family will likely need to pay for the remaining hours. Before you commit to an arrangement, review your loved one’s benefits and estimate how many hours of care they’ll need each week.

It also helps to start planning for long-term care before a crisis, when your family has more time to compare options.

Is 24-hour home care cheaper than assisted living or a nursing home?

No. Round-the-clock home care usually costs more than assisted living or a nursing home, since you’re paying for every hour of one-on-one support.

Here’s how the national median monthly costs compare:

• 24-hour non-medical home care: about $25,550
• Assisted living: $6,200
• Nursing home, semi-private room: $9,581
• Nursing home, private room: $10,798

These settings also provide different kinds of help. Nursing homes offer more supervision and medical care than assisted living, and 24-hour home care gives your loved one dedicated support in their own home.

Cost is only one part of the decision. Many older adults want to stay in their own homes, and familiar routines and surroundings can be especially comforting for someone with memory loss. If you’re comparing settings, senior care at home can be a good alternative to facility care.

And if your loved one doesn’t need someone with them every hour, there are ways to bring the cost of home care down.

How to lower the cost of 24-hour or live-in care

Around-the-clock care adds up quickly, but your loved one may not need help every hour. These strategies can help you build a schedule that fits their needs and your budget:

• Schedule care around peak times: Book help for the hours your loved one needs it most, like mornings, mealtimes, or bedtime. Part-time care can save money and still cover the hardest parts of the day.
• Cover nights or weekends only: If family members can help during the day, an overnight caregiver can handle bathroom trips and wake-ups while everyone else gets some rest. Overnight and weekend respite care also gives family caregivers a regular break without committing to full-time help.
• Compare how you hire: Home care platforms and agencies charge differently. Agency rates can include overhead of up to 50% on top of the caregiver’s wage. Families on Herewith often spend $20 to $30 an hour, so at $25 an hour, round-the-clock care would cost about $18,250 a month.
• Reassess as needs change: Round-the-clock care after surgery or a hospital stay may only be needed for a few weeks. Check in with your loved one’s healthcare provider so you can scale back hours when it’s safe.

Starting with fewer hours and adding more as needs grow can keep costs down without leaving gaps in care. On Herewith, you set your own hourly budget, and the service fee is built into that rate.

Finding the right care for your loved one

If you’re thinking about hiring help for your loved one at home, start by taking a close look at their daily routine. Notice when they need the most help, if they can safely spend time alone, and how often they wake up needing assistance at night. Those answers will tell you if 24-hour care, a live-in caregiver, or a few well-timed shifts make the most sense.

When you’re ready, you can book 24-hour or live-in care from independent, background-checked Helpers who provide non-medical support at home.

Families also ask

How much does 24/7 in-home care cost per month?

At the national median rate of $35 an hour, 24/7 in-home care costs about $25,550 a month. Your actual cost will depend on where your loved one lives, the help they need, and how caregiver shifts are arranged.

How much does live-in care cost?

Major cost surveys don’t report a national average for live-in care, since paid hours vary by arrangement. At $35 an hour, a live-in caregiver paid for 8 to 12 hours a day costs about $8,520 to $12,775 a month. That’s less than 24-hour care because sleep and off-duty time can be left out of paid hours.

How many caregivers do you need for 24-hour care?

24-hour care covers 168 hours a week, which is more than four full-time schedules. Most families need a rotating team of caregivers working in shifts so everyone gets time off and someone is always available.

Does Medicare pay for 24-hour home care?

No. Original Medicare doesn’t cover 24-hour care at home or personal care when that’s the only help your loved one needs. It may cover part-time skilled home health services, like nursing or physical therapy, for people who qualify.