The most common services are described below:

Adult Day Services enable people to spend their daytime hours in an organized and supervised setting with social activities. They may include physical and mental activities as well as socialization with others. Some of these programs provide specialized care (e.g., for dementia) and some also provide health monitoring and assist you in taking your medication.

Congregate Dining Programs offer low-cost, nutritious meals served in group settings.

Health Education and Wellness Programs maintain your health through direct teaching, counseling, and similar services.

Home-Delivered Meals, often called meals-on-wheels, bring nutritionally balanced meals to those unable to prepare their own.

Home Health Care offers a variety of useful health care services to people living at home, including monitoring of health situations, health education, wound care, and administering medication. Home health aides may assist with personal hygiene, prescribed exercises, and other personal care under the super-vision of a licensed nurse. Physical, occupational and speech therapies, and social worker services also may be provided in the home.

Homemaker Services or chore services help with daily household activities, such as laundry, shopping, light housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, driving, and companionship.

Hospice Care provides nursing care services to terminally ill people as well as counseling for their families.

Hospice Care can be offered in nursing homes or in the older person’s home, where nurses, social workers and volunteers can visit regularly.

Respite Care allows family caregivers to have a brief rest by providing temporary overnight care for ill or disabled people, usually in a nursing home, for a few days or weeks.

Senior Centers offer individuals a place to visit daily for a variety of social and recreational services to reduce isolation and keep life interesting and satisfying.

Transportation Services help individuals keep appointments and enjoy recreational opportunities.

Local providers or your county Area Agency on Aging may help identify and locate services in your community. Many services, even 24-hour care, may be provided in your own home; however, the cost of these services at home may be a factor to consider.

Following is a range of charges for some common home or community-based care and services. Actual costs will vary by area and the amount of assistance you need. Private insurance or other benefits, like Medicare or Medicaid, may pay part or all of the costs, sometimes for a limited period of time.