Posted on February 18th, 2026

 

Home care can feel like a moving target. One year, rates look manageable. The next, you hear about higher hourly prices, tighter staffing, and families paying more for the same level of help. If you’re trying to budget for senior home care, the big question isn’t just today’s rate, it’s how quickly home care costs tend to rise and what you can do now to keep future bills from catching you off guard.

 

How Home Care Price Increase Happens Year To Year

When people ask, “how much does home care increase each year,” they usually want a simple percentage. The honest answer is that it varies by region, service type, and what’s happening in the labor market. Still, there are credible benchmarks that show how prices have moved recently.

One of the most referenced sources for U.S. long-term care pricing is the Genworth and CareScout Cost of Care Survey. In the 2024 survey tables, the national median hourly rate for homemaker services is listed at $33, and the national median hourly rate for a home health aide is $34.

In the 2023 survey, the national median hourly rate is shown at $30 for homemaker services and $33 for home health aide services.

That change suggests two different stories happening at the same time:

• Homemaker services saw a jump from $30 to $33 per hour, which is about a 10% increase based on the survey figures.

• Home health aide services moved from $33 to $34 per hour, which is closer to a 3% increase using the same source tables.

If you prefer to think in monthly or annual terms, the same 2024 tables list national annual medians of $75,504 for homemaker services and $77,792 for home health aide services, with monthly medians of $6,292 and $6,483.

 

What Drives Home Care Price Increase Over Time

Prices rise for a reason, and it’s usually not one single factor. Home care is heavily labor-driven, which means workforce realities show up in the hourly rate faster than they do in many other industries. On top of that, home care agencies carry operational costs that can shift year to year.

Here are common drivers that feed home care costs over time:

• Caregiver wages and competition for staff, especially during worker shortages

• Insurance and compliance costs that agencies must carry to operate

• Fuel, travel time, and scheduling logistics, especially for spread-out service areas

• Service demand growth, as more families choose aging at home and request home care services

These factors show up differently depending on location. Some areas experience steeper changes because demand rises faster than the workforce. Other areas see steadier growth but still trend upward.

 

Smart Ways To Reduce Home Care Price Increase Stress

If yearly increases worry you, you’re not alone. The goal isn’t to eliminate every future risk. The goal is to reduce how exposed you are to price changes, especially if you expect to rely on senior home care for a meaningful number of hours.

A few strategies can help you build more predictability:

• Build a care budget that includes a “rate increase cushion,” not just the current hourly price

• Start planning early, even if care is not needed today, so choices aren’t rushed

• Consider care structures that support predictable home care costs, such as pre-purchased hours

• Track local rate trends yearly so your budget stays realistic

Another way to lower stress is to separate “care decisions” from “financial decisions.” If the only plan is to pay whatever the market charges in the moment, families end up making care choices based on panic. 

 

Why Home Care Price Increase Makes Prepaid Care Attractive

Prepaid care is appealing for one main reason: it turns an unknown future cost into a known number today. If you’ve watched pricing rise in your area, the idea of a locked-in rate can feel like a relief, especially for families who want fixed rate home care without constant recalculations.

This is where prepaid home care can shift the entire conversation. Instead of asking, “What will rates be next year?” you can focus on, “How many hours of support do we want available, and what will that cost us now?”

Prepaid care can be especially helpful for:

• People who want future proof your home care planning with a set pool of hours

• Families aiming to avoid home care price hikes disrupting their monthly budget

• Those who want budget for senior home care with fewer surprises

• Anyone who prefers predictable home care costs over market-driven changes

With EnTrust Care, the Silver Package is designed for that kind of predictability. You can learn more by visiting the Silver Package prepaid home care services page, which includes 750 hours of dedicated care at a fixed rate. That structure can help protect against rising costs while keeping support available when you need it.

 

Related: Home Care Inflation: Why Prices Rise and How to Plan Ahead

 

Conclusion

Home care prices often rise over time, and recent national survey data shows that increases can vary by service type, region, and year. For many families, the hardest part is not paying today’s rate, it’s staying ready for future changes while still keeping care consistent and reliable. When you treat home care costs as a long-term line item and build a plan around realistic growth, you’re far less likely to get blindsided by a sudden home care price increase.

At EnTrust Care, we help families build a smarter path forward by creating more predictability around care expenses. If you want to lock in support and reduce exposure to rising rates, visit our Silver Package page. Secure your future with EnTrust Care and experience peace of mind with our Silver Package, offering 750 hours of dedicated home care at a fixed rate—protecting you from rising costs and ensuring the support you need is always there. If you’d like to talk through options and see how prepaid care could fit your goals, call (800) 550-3921 or email [email protected].