How to Find the Right Senior Care

Caregiverlist understands the process involved in finding the right senior care. Created by senior care professionals, including the owner of a successful senior home care agency, Caregiverlist cares about seniors and senior caregivers. We provide you with the ONLY online resource with quality standards for senior home care agencies and the ONLY resource online or offline with a complete list of the daily costs of nursing homes.

Compare Senior Care Options

Step 1: Define your budget for paying for senior care

You must privately pay for senior care with your own money or with a long-term care insurance policy, unless you are a:

• Veteran: if you are a veteran of certain wars, you and your spouse may qualify for a home nursing aide or may qualify to live in a veteran's nursing home. Learn about veteran's benefits for senior care and find filing forms.

• Spouse of a Veteran: spouses of qualifying veterans also qualify for the same benefits as the veteran. Learn about veteran's benefits.

• Low-income Senior: if you have nearly no assets, you may qualify for long-term care in a nursing home through Medicaid services. Learn about the Medicaid requirements in your state.

• Approved for Short-term Nursing Home Care (Up to 100 Days): Medicare will pay for a stay in a nursing home for rehabilitation care after a major medical condition, with a medical doctor's approval.

Step 2: Define where you would like to receive senior care

• Home Care: senior home care agencies provide active care management, caregiver benefits, training and support and 24-hour staffing. Find Caregiverlist's quality-approved senior home care agencies in your area by submitting a request for services and rates.

• Assisted Living: assisted living communities provide an active lifestyle with additional care services, as needed. Your local Area Agency on Aging, local senior home care agency or doctor's office is the best place to start the search for assisted living.

• Continuing Care Retirement Community: a CCRC provides the security of knowing you will have as much or little care as you may need as you age, all within one community. While a significant down payment is required, you will be able to remain living there even if full-time nursing care is required.

• Supportive Living/Independent Living: these senior living residents provide care "support" through group activities and care services but not complete care services. Some states offer supportive living communities for low-income seniors.

• Nursing Home: nursing homes provide complete nursing care services, with government health inspections required every 15 months. Find nursing homes in your area along with their daily rates and Caregiverlist's Nursing Home Star-ratings.

Step 3: Evaluate Senior Care Options Near You

• Receive Rates and Service information from Senior Home Care Agencies meeting Caregiverlist's Quality Standards
• Evaluate Nursing Home Costs and Ratings with the Caregiverlist Star-ratings
• Contact the local Area Agency on Aging in your state to learn about assisted living, continuing care retirement communities and supportive living

Local Senior Services Available Through Area Agencies on Aging

• Transportation
• Home-delivered Meals
• Prescription Drug Programs
• Healthy Aging Programs
• Case Management
• Caregiver Training
• Senior Activities
• Support Groups
• Volunteering

Caregiverlist provides information on senior services By-State, including qualification information for state programs and contact numbers.