The Cost of Aging at Home in Texas: Making Quality Home Care More Accessible This Fall
Updated: Sep 28
When an aging parent begins needing more help at home, families often face two important questions at the same time:
What kind of support does my loved one need, and how are we going to afford it?
For many adult children, the need for care does not arrive all at once. It may begin with concerns about whether Mom is eating regularly, whether Dad is safe getting in and out of the shower, or whether a loved one living alone is becoming increasingly isolated.
A few hours of dependable assistance can make a meaningful difference. Yet the cost of professional home care can make families hesitate to seek support.
At Caremate Wellness Solutions, we believe cost should not prevent families from exploring care that can support dignity, independence, and quality of life at home.
That is why, from September 1 through December 31, Caremate is offering eligible private-pay clients home care and companionship services for $18.75 per hour, with overnight home care available for $21 per hour.
Reduced cost. Not reduced care.
Home Care Costs Are Rising Faster Than Overall Inflation
For families considering home care, affordability has become an increasingly important part of the conversation.
According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index data show that home care prices increased 7.9 percent between May 2025 and May 2026.
That increase was nearly twice the 4.2 percent overall inflation rate during the same period and was higher than inflation for major household expense categories such as food and housing.
The impact becomes clearer when translated into the cost of care.
AARP reports that CareScout estimated the national median hourly cost of home care at $35 per hour in 2025. Applying the 7.9 percent increase reflected in the BLS data brings that amount closer to $38 per hour.
For someone receiving 30 hours of home care each week, AARP estimates that the increase could add approximately $90 per week, or more than $4,600 over the course of a year.
For older adults and families already balancing housing, food, transportation, healthcare, medications, and other expenses, an additional several thousand dollars a year can place significant pressure on household budgets and savings.
The Home Care Affordability Gap
The cost of home care can be especially challenging for older adults who depend heavily on Social Security income.
AARP's Public Policy Institute reports that the median annual cost of home care was $51,480 for 30 hours of care per week, more than twice the average annual Social Security benefit for retired workers of approximately $23,700.
The increase in home care costs over the previous year alone could consume approximately one-fifth of that annual Social Security benefit, equivalent to more than two months of payments.
There is another concern.
According to AARP, home care inflation also grew faster than the rate used to calculate Social Security cost-of-living increases, which stood at 4.4 percent as of May 2026.
When the cost of care rises faster than the financial resources many older adults depend on, families may face an increasingly difficult gap between the support a loved one needs and the care they can afford.
For families paying for care themselves, that gap can become personal very quickly.
The Financial Reality of Aging in Texas
Texas families are navigating these affordability concerns as the state's older population continues to grow.
According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, more than 5.5 million Texans were age 60 or older in 2021. While the state's overall population grew by nearly 17 percent between 2011 and 2021, its population of adults age 60 and older grew by approximately 41 percent during that period.
Texas' older population is also changing. Texas HHSC reports that the state's older population is becoming increasingly diverse, with racial and ethnic minority populations representing a significant share of older residents in large counties such as Dallas and Harris.
These demographic changes are important when discussing access to care.
Families enter the caregiving journey with different incomes, resources, insurance coverage, family support systems, cultural expectations, and access to community-based services.
A care option that is financially manageable for one household may be out of reach for another.
As more Texans reach older adulthood, helping individuals remain independent at home is not simply a question of whether home care exists. Families also have to determine whether they can access and afford the support they need.
When Insurance or Benefits Do Not Cover Home Care
One of the most confusing parts of arranging care can be determining how services will be paid for.
Some older adults may qualify for Medicaid programs. Eligible veterans may have access to certain VA benefits. Other families may have long-term care insurance that helps cover qualifying services.
But not every family qualifies for these options.
Some families find themselves in the middle. Their loved one needs assistance, but Medicaid benefits, qualifying VA benefits, or long-term care insurance are not available to pay for that care.
As home care prices continue to rise, families paying directly for services may feel the financial impact more immediately.
Those are some of the families Caremate's Fall Savings Program is designed to help.
Quality Home Care for $18.75 Per Hour
From September 1 through December 31, eligible private-pay clients can receive Caremate home care and companionship services for: $18.75 per hour for qualifying home care and companionship services, or $21 per hour for overnight home care.
The Fall Savings Program is intended to help make quality home care more accessible to individuals and families paying privately without Medicaid benefits, VA benefits, or long-term care insurance.
At a time when AARP reports that the national median hourly cost of home care was $35 in 2025 and rising home care prices could bring that figure closer to $38, Caremate's limited-time rate is designed to help reduce the financial barrier to seeking professional support.
Most importantly, a reduced rate does not mean a reduced commitment to care.
Reduced cost. Not reduced care.
Eligible clients receive the same compassionate Caremate support, with services centered on helping individuals maintain dignity, independence, safety, and quality of life in the comfort of home.
What Can Nonmedical Home Care Help With?
Sometimes families wait to consider home care because they assume their parent must need around-the-clock assistance before professional care makes sense.
That is not necessarily the case.
Nonmedical home care can provide support with everyday activities while helping an older adult continue living in familiar surroundings.
Depending on an individual's care plan, Caremate services can include assistance with:
Bathing, dressing, and grooming
Meal preparation
Light housekeeping
Medication reminders
Mobility monitoring
Companionship and social engagement
Respite support for family caregivers
Incontinence and toileting assistance
Prescription pickups
Other activities of daily living
Caremate also provides specialized Alzheimer's and dementia support for individuals living with memory-related conditions.
Care is based on the individual's needs, which is why the conversation should begin with understanding the person rather than simply choosing a number of caregiving hours.
Home Care Can Also Support the Family Caregiver
Home care is not only about the person receiving assistance.
It can also give family caregivers something they often need: support.
An adult daughter may be managing medications, meals, transportation, work, children, and her own household. A son may be checking on his father every evening because he worries about leaving him alone. Siblings may be trying to divide responsibilities while living in different cities.
Families often do everything they can for as long as they can.
Professional home care can become another part of that support system.
A caregiver can provide companionship while a family member runs errands. Respite care can give a primary caregiver time to rest or attend an appointment. Personal assistance can help with tasks that have become difficult for an older adult or family member to manage safely.
The goal is not to replace family.
The goal is to help families build a sustainable circle of support around the person they love.
The Care That Catches You
There are moments when families need someone to help carry what has become too much to carry alone.
That is what The Care That Catches You means to us.
It is care that meets people where they are.
It is support that respects the individual receiving it.
It is a caregiver who understands that companionship can matter just as much as completing a task.
It is helping an older adult continue participating in everyday life with dignity.
And it is giving families another set of capable hands when they need them.
Caremate Wellness Solutions is a state-licensed, Joint Commission-accredited home care agency providing nonmedical assistance to seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Our approach is centered on helping clients thrive at home while connecting families with support and resources that address their broader needs.
Access to Care Matters
As Texas' older population continues to grow, conversations about aging cannot focus only on the availability of care. They must also include access to care.
A service can exist in a community and still remain inaccessible to a family that cannot afford it.
That challenge can be especially significant for families paying privately.
The Caremate Fall Savings Program is one way we are working to reduce that barrier for eligible families during this promotional period.
For some families, affordable professional support might mean getting help before the situation becomes overwhelming. For others, it could mean adding companionship to a parent's week or giving a family caregiver time to recharge.
Every family's situation is different.
The first step is simply understanding what options are available.
Ready to Explore Your Care Options?
If you have been wondering whether your parent could use additional support at home, you do not have to figure everything out on your own.
From September 1 through December 31, eligible private-pay clients can receive qualifying home care and companionship services from Caremate Wellness Solutions for $18.75 per hour, or $21 per hour for overnight home care.
Reduced cost. Not reduced care.
Contact Caremate Wellness Solutions to discuss your loved one's needs, determine eligibility for the Fall Savings Program, and explore the care options available to your family.
Sources & References
AARP Public Policy Institute. “Sharp Rise in Home Care Prices Puts Older Adults at Risk.” Analysis of home care price increases, overall inflation, CareScout home care cost data, Social Security benefits, and the growing affordability gap for older adults and families. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/ltss/sharp-rise-in-home-care-prices-puts-older-adults-at-risk/
Texas Health and Human Services Commission. “Aging Texas Well: Older Adults at a Glance.” Texas demographic information about adults age 60 and older, population growth, diversity, and factors affecting healthy aging and independence.https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/aging-at-glance.pdf
Texas Health and Human Services Commission. “Aging Texas Well Strategic Plan.” Additional Texas-specific information on the state's growing and increasingly diverse older adult population and priorities related to healthy aging, independence, and access to supportive resources.https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/aging-texas-well-strategic-plan-2024-25.pdf
SeniorLiving.org. “Assisted Living in Texas.” Information about assisted living options and costs in Texas.https://www.seniorliving.org/assisted-living/texas/
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