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Planning help with daily tasks

Most people want to stay in their own home. Staying gets harder when daily tasks — bathing, dressing, cooking, cleaning, rides to the doctor — become too much for one person. The answer is rarely all or nothing. A few hours of the right help, at the right time of day, can keep a home life working.

The guides here help you notice which tasks have become hard, talk about it without a fight, and choose between family help, paid aides, and community programs. You will find what home care costs by the hour, what Medicare does and does not pay for, and how to hire an aide safely, with references checked and a written plan for the work.

The numbers

Figures for this topic
Help at home (non-medical care), median (CareScout Cost of Care Survey, 2025)	$35 an hour
Adult day care, median (CareScout Cost of Care Survey, 2025)	$95 a day

Guides in this category

Start here: Building a Weekly Plan for Meals, Cleaning, Shopping, and Laundry.

Building a Weekly Plan for Meals, Cleaning, Shopping, and LaundryA simple weekly plan for meals, cleaning, shopping, and laundry at home: set fixed days, make short lists, split the work, and know who pays for help.Signs It Is Time to Bring in Daily HelpThe plain signs that daily tasks have become too much for one person: missed bills, spoiled food, falls, and a worn-out caregiver, and what kind of help fits each sign.

Continue on Care and Living Guide

Find care providers near you — Browse care providers by state and city in the directory.

Free local help

Three national programs connect you to help in your own community, at no cost:

Eldercare LocatorFind your local Area Agency on Aging and aging services near you.BenefitsCheckUpA benefits check from the National Council on Aging.State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)Free, unbiased help with Medicare questions from trained local counselors.

More in Everyday Help

Transportation and getting aroundRides when driving gets hard: local programs, paratransit, and costs compared.Meals, shopping, and household essentialsSimple meals for one or two, easier shopping, and programs that help with food.

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