Home care resources: cost, scheduling, and getting started
Find practical answers about non-medical home care, whether you need support now or are planning ahead.
Review costs, visit options, and the steps to begin before deciding about care.
What are you trying to figure out?
Most families are not searching for “home care” in the abstract. Something has changed, a decision is approaching, or the current arrangement no longer feels sustainable.
Start with the question closest to your situation.
What happens when you call about home care?
See what happens from the first conversation through the nurse assessment, care plan, caregiver preparation, and first visit.
See How Care BeginsWhat does home care cost?
Get direct answers about hourly rates, minimum visits, scheduling options, the refundable deposit, and long-term care insurance.
Understand Cost and SchedulingDoes my loved one need home care?
Recognize common changes that may signal a need for support and learn how to choose a reasonable starting schedule.
Review the SignsWhat happens when you call about home care?
You don’t need to know what kind of care you need, how many hours to ask for, or what the schedule should be. Start with a conversation with our Client Success team.
We begin by learning what is happening, where care is needed, and when support may need to begin. If your family decides to move forward, we coordinate the complimentary nurse assessment, develop the care plan, and prepare the caregiver team.
Start by telling us what’s happening
Starting home care can feel like a significant decision, especially when a family is managing a hospital discharge, changing mobility, memory concerns, caregiver exhaustion, or a sudden change at home.
Our Client Success team will ask a few basic questions:
- Who needs care?
- Where is care needed?
- What has been changing?
- What kind of support are you considering?
- When might care need to begin?
- What is the best way to reach you?
You don’t need a full care description, and you don’t commit to anything on this call.
We listen, answer your questions, and help you decide on the right next step.
Care begins in three stages: Schedule Your Free Care Consultation; Build the Care Plan and Schedule; Meet Your Caregiver Team and Begin Care. Here’s what happens after you decide to move forward.
From first conversation to first visit
Complete the Start of Care Authorization
After your family decides to proceed, Family Best Care sends a short electronic Start of Care Authorization and Billing Form.
This provides the information needed to begin coordinating the nurse assessment and start of care. It is not the first step for someone who is simply calling to ask about care.
Choose Times That Fit Your Schedule
We ask for several dates and times that work for your family, then coordinate and confirm the complimentary nurse consultation and assessment.
Finalize the Plan and Prepare the Team
After the assessment, Family Best Care finalizes the care plan, reviews the requested schedule and current availability, prepares the caregiver team, and confirms the start plan.
What happens during the nurse assessment?
The nurse assessment is free. It’s a care-planning visit, not a medical appointment.
The nurse learns about the client’s:
- Daily routines
- Abilities and mobility
- Personal-care needs
- Medication-reminder needs
- Safety considerations
- Preferences and comfort
- Proposed care schedule
The visit also gives the client and family time to ask questions. The person receiving care has a voice in the plan. Family members may participate with the client’s permission.
Care built around more than a schedule
Family Best Care considers both the care needs and the relationship when preparing the caregiver team.
- The caregiver’s skills and experience
- The client’s location and schedule
- Personal-care and mobility needs
- Daily routines
- Personality and communication style
- Client and family preferences
Before the first visit, the caregiver receives care-plan guidance and client-specific information so they can arrive prepared.
Depending on the schedule, care comes from one caregiver or a small, steady team. We aim for familiar faces.
When care can’t wait
Our office team is available 24/7 to talk through urgent needs.
For urgent situations, several preparation steps may move forward at the same time. This can be especially important when a discharge is approaching, a family caregiver can no longer safely cover the schedule, or circumstances change unexpectedly.
What does home care cost?
Family Best Care’s private-pay rates generally range from $45 to $55 per hour. The minimum scheduled visit is four hours. The exact rate and schedule are confirmed before care is finalized.
$45–$55 Per Hour
Generally $45 to $55 per hour, depending on the care needs and schedule.
Four Scheduled Hours
The minimum scheduled visit is four hours.
Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted
Family Best Care accepts long-term care insurance. For eligible clients who need Medicare- or Medicaid-supported care, we partner with Providence PACE Washington and can help facilitate a conversation about eligibility and next steps.
What affects the cost?
The exact rate is based on the care needs and requested schedule.
Before care is finalized, Family Best Care reviews:
- The type of support needed
- The requested days and times
- Whether care is temporary or ongoing
- Whether daytime, overnight, or around-the-clock support is needed
- The location where care will be provided
- Current caregiver availability
Your family will receive the applicable rate and refundable deposit information before care begins.
How can a four-hour visit be used?
A four-hour visit can be built around the part of the day when support would make the greatest difference.
Depending on the care plan, a caregiver may help with:
- Bathing, dressing, grooming, or toileting
- Mobility and transfers
- Meal preparation and cleanup
- Medication reminders
- Laundry and light housekeeping
- Grocery shopping or errands
- Transportation to appointments
- Companionship and supervision
- Familiar daily routines
You don’t need to plan the visit yourself. Our first conversation and the free nurse assessment help decide what support and timing make sense.
Not sure how many hours you need?
Tell us which parts of the day are getting harder, and we’ll help you choose a practical starting schedule.
Get My Free Care ConsultationCare scheduled around what you actually need
- During the day
- In the evening
- Overnight
- On weekends
- On holidays
- Around the clock
Care can be short-term, such as support after surgery, hospitalization, or rehabilitation. It can also continue as needs evolve.
Scheduled care can provide respite for a family caregiver, fill a specific gap in the day, provide overnight reassurance, or create continuous support.
Care can begin with the schedule that fits the current need and be reviewed as circumstances change.
Does Family Best Care accept insurance?
Family Best Care accepts long-term care insurance.
Coverage, waiting periods, documentation, reimbursement, and claim requirements vary by policy. Families should review their individual policy to understand the applicable benefits.
Family Best Care’s standard home-care services are private-pay and are not billed directly to Medicare or Medicaid.
For eligible clients who need Medicare- or Medicaid-supported care, Family Best Care partners with Providence PACE Washington. If this may apply to your family, our team can help facilitate a conversation with Providence PACE to review eligibility and next steps.
Family Best Care provides non-medical home care rather than skilled home-health treatment. Medicare coverage that may apply to qualifying clinical home-health services is different from Family Best Care’s standard private-pay home-care services.
Is a Deposit Required?
Yes. A refundable deposit is required before care begins.
The amount depends on the planned level of care and is confirmed during the Start of Care Authorization and Billing process.
At the end of care, the deposit is returned either by being applied to the final invoice or as a refund issued after care ends.
A deposit is not required to ask questions, discuss care, or have an initial conversation.
What Do We Need to Confirm Cost and Availability?
A few basic details are enough:
- Where care is needed
- When support may need to begin
- What kind of help is being considered
- Which days or times are most important
- The best way to reach you
You do not need a completed care plan or an exact number of hours before contacting us.
Does my loved one need home care?
Most families do not recognize one perfect moment to begin care. They notice small changes, growing risks, or a routine that is becoming harder to maintain.
You do not need a diagnosis or a complete plan to begin asking questions.
Home care may be worth considering when everyday tasks are becoming harder or less safe, routines are slipping, memory or mobility is changing, or family caregivers can no longer cover the support that is needed.
Common signs it may be time for help
Daily Tasks Are Becoming Harder
Bathing, dressing, grooming, meals, laundry, shopping, or household routines are no longer happening consistently or safely.
Mobility Feels Less Certain
Walking, transferring, navigating the home, or recovering from a fall requires more support or supervision.
Memory Is Affecting the Day
Appointments, meals, medications, familiar routines, or personal-care tasks are being missed or repeated.
A Family Caregiver Is Running Out of Capacity
A spouse, child, or other family member is covering more than they can safely or sustainably continue.
Someone Is Coming Home From the Hospital
A discharge after surgery, hospitalization, or rehabilitation has created temporary or ongoing support needs.
Being Alone No Longer Feels Right
The person may benefit from companionship, reassurance, supervision, or help during specific parts of the day or night.
One of these changes doesn’t mean you need a lot of care. It means it’s worth a conversation.
Support without taking over
Depending on the care plan, Family Best Care caregivers may help with:
- Bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
- Mobility, positioning, and transfers
- Range-of-motion assistance included in the care plan
- Medication reminders
- Meals and hydration routines
- Laundry and light housekeeping
- Grocery shopping and errands
- Transportation and appointments
- Companionship and familiar activities
- Dementia-related cueing and supervision
- Respite for family caregivers
- Safety-focused household routines
The goal is never to take over. It’s to make daily life easier while respecting the person’s routines and choices.
You don’t need to diagnose the problem
Tell us what you’re seeing, and we’ll help you decide whether home care is the right fit.
Get My Free Care ConsultationNon-medical home care is not home health
Family Best Care provides non-medical home care.
Caregivers support daily activities, personal care, mobility, meals, companionship, household routines, supervision, and other needs included in the care plan.
They do not diagnose conditions, provide physical therapy, perform clinical procedures, or replace skilled medical providers or emergency services.
The complimentary nurse assessment helps determine which requested support can be included safely and appropriately in the care plan.
How much care should we start with?
You do not need to know the exact number of hours before contacting Family Best Care.
- Which parts of the day are most difficult?
- What is no longer being completed safely?
- When is the person usually alone?
- What can family caregivers realistically continue doing?
- Is the need temporary, recurring, overnight, or continuous?
- Would a smaller starting schedule address the immediate concern?
The minimum scheduled visit is four hours. Care may be scheduled during the day, evening, overnight, on weekends or holidays, or around the clock. The schedule can be reviewed as needs change.
Protecting independence is often the best place to start
Hesitation is common. Inviting someone into the home can feel personal, and care may be interpreted as a loss of independence.
It can help to:
- Involve the person in the conversation
- Ask which tasks feel most difficult
- Focus on what would make daily life easier
- Begin with specific, practical support
- Preserve familiar routines
- Respect personal preferences
- Let the person help shape the care plan
- Explain how support may also help a spouse or family caregiver
Family Best Care considers the client’s routines, abilities, preferences, comfort, and what matters most to them when developing the care plan and preparing the caregiver team.
Do you need help now, or want to prepare?
The Current Arrangement Is No Longer Working
A discharge is approaching, safety concerns are increasing, or the family can no longer cover the necessary support.
Call anytime. Our office team is available 24/7.
Get My Free Care ConsultationPrepare Before the Situation Becomes Urgent
The Care Planning Partnership helps families understand their options, recognize changes, and establish a trusted relationship before regular care is needed.
There is no requirement to begin services. The program does not reserve a caregiver or guarantee future availability.
Plan Before Care Is UrgentThe questions families ask first
Direct answers about starting care, cost, scheduling, insurance, and what to expect.
How quickly can care begin?
Care can often begin quickly, sometimes within hours. Call (206) 209-0373 and we will confirm a realistic start date with you.
How much does home care cost?
Family Best Care’s private-pay rates generally range from $45 to $55 per hour. The exact rate depends on the care needs and schedule and is confirmed before care is finalized.
What is the minimum visit?
The minimum scheduled visit is four hours. Our team can help you decide when support would be most useful and how that time can be built around the client’s needs and routine.
What can a caregiver help with?
Depending on the care plan, caregivers may help with personal care, mobility, medication reminders, meals, light housekeeping, transportation, errands, companionship, supervision, and daily routines.
Do I need to know exactly what kind of care we need?
No. A few basics are enough to begin: what is happening, where care is needed, when support may begin, and the general type of help being considered.
Does the nurse assessment cost anything?
No. The initial nurse consultation and assessment used to develop the care plan is complimentary.
Can family members participate?
Yes. With the client’s involvement and permission, family members can participate in the initial conversation, nurse assessment, care planning, and ongoing communication.
Do you accept long-term care insurance?
Yes. Family Best Care accepts long-term care insurance. Coverage, documentation, waiting periods, reimbursement, and claim requirements vary by policy.
Can Family Best Care help if I have Medicare or Medicaid?
Family Best Care’s standard home-care services are private-pay and are not billed directly to Medicare or Medicaid. For eligible clients who need Medicare- or Medicaid-supported care, we partner with Providence PACE Washington and can help facilitate a conversation about eligibility and next steps.
Is a deposit required?
Yes. A refundable deposit is required before care begins. The amount depends on the planned level of care and is confirmed during the Start of Care Authorization and Billing process. At the end of care, the deposit is returned either by being applied to the final invoice or as a refund issued after care ends. A deposit is not required to ask questions or have an initial conversation.
Can care be temporary?
Yes. Care can be short-term, such as support during recovery after surgery, hospitalization, or rehabilitation, or continue as needs evolve.
Can care be scheduled overnight or on weekends?
Yes. Care may be scheduled during the day, evening, overnight, on weekends or holidays, or around the clock.
Do we need a diagnosis before asking about home care?
No. Families can begin the conversation based on the changes they are noticing. Family Best Care does not diagnose conditions, but we can help determine whether non-medical home care may be appropriate.
What if my loved one is resistant to care?
Hesitation is common. It often helps to involve the person, focus on specific support that would make daily life easier, and preserve the routines and preferences that matter to them.
What happens if a scheduled caregiver becomes unavailable?
If a scheduled caregiver becomes unavailable, our office coordinates communication and works to identify a qualified replacement who can follow the care plan. The client or family is kept informed while coverage is being addressed.
Get answers for your family’s care decision
Tell us what’s happening, and we’ll help you figure out the right care and schedule. You don’t need a plan or exact hours to start.
There is no obligation to begin care.
Tell Us What Is Happening
Answer a few quick questions and a member of our care team will call you back. A short answer is perfect. Need care today or tomorrow? Calling is fastest.
Thank you. We have your request.
A care coordinator will call you from (206) 209-0373. Save the number so you know it’s us.
Since you need care today or tomorrow, you’re also welcome to call us now. We answer 24/7.
A confirmation email is on its way.