Pulse brief · 1 cited source · July 23, 2026
Family caregivers increasingly treat home care as a permanent plan
A Place for Mom's survey of 708 family caregivers finds sixty-two percent view home care as a long-term or permanent solution; cost remains the top reason families discontinue it.
Sixty-two percent of family caregivers now view home care as a long-term or permanent solution for helping a loved one age in place, according to A Place for Mom's 2026 Home Care and Family Caregiving report. The New York City-based company, which operates an online platform connecting families with home care and senior living communities, surveyed 708 family caregivers with experience with nonmedical in-home care — people actively seeking care, those who had hired a caregiver, and those who had discontinued home care within the past year. When health needs change, families are more likely to increase or alter home care hours than move a loved one to a senior living facility, said Martin Hernandez, the company's general manager of family sales, who told Home Health Care News that home-based care services are likely to grow and stabilize as families commit for the long term.
The commitment does not release families from the work. After hiring a professional caregiver, family members shift from hands-on tasks to roles as "care coordinators" — managing appointments, transportation, and emotional support — and still report spending around nine to 13 hours a week coordinating care. "One of the biggest misconceptions is that bringing in home care means the family can step away," Hernandez said. Among respondents who had used home care for more than a year, 72% said it was easy to adjust schedules, services, or caregivers over time, while 81% of those who discontinued home care said they experienced scheduling disruptions.
Cost emerged as a large barrier: 45% of respondents cited expenses as the top reason for discontinuing home care services, and most families required an adjustment period, with many initially contracting a caregiver for numerous services before scaling back to essential needs such as bathing or mobility. Even so, 85% of long-term users described home care as good or very good value, 93% would recommend it to others, and 69% of current users said it reduced their daily stress.
Evidence
Each statement shown below is a verified claim this source supports.
- Sixty-two percent of family caregivers view home care as a long-term or permanent solution for helping a loved one age in place.
- Per Hernandez, families are increasingly thinking about home care as part of a longer-term plan rather than a short-term fix.
- A Place for Mom surveyed 708 family caregivers with experience with nonmedical in-home care, including people actively seeking care, those who had hired a caregiver, and those who had discontinued home care within the past year.
- 45% of respondents cited expenses as the top reason for discontinuing home care services, making cost the top barrier.
- The finding comes from A Place for Mom's 2026 Home Care and Family Caregiving report.
- A Place for Mom is a New York City-based company that operates an online platform connecting caregivers and families with aging care, including home care services and senior living communities.
- Martin Hernandez, A Place for Mom's general manager of family sales, said families are more likely to increase or alter home care hours than move a loved one to a senior living facility when health needs change.
- Hernandez told Home Health Care News that home-based care services are likely to grow and stabilize as families commit to such care for the long term.
- The level of family involvement remains the same after a family member hires a caregiver, with individuals still reporting spending around nine to 13 hours a week coordinating care.
- After engaging a professional caregiver, family members shift from hands-on tasks to roles as "care coordinators," managing appointments, transportation, and emotional support.
- Hernandez said: "One of the biggest misconceptions is that bringing in home care means the family can step away."
- Among respondents who had used home care for more than a year, 72% said it was easy to adjust schedules, services, or caregivers over time.
- 81% of respondents who discontinued home care said they experienced scheduling disruptions.
- Most families required an adjustment period, with many initially contracting a caregiver for numerous services before scaling back to essential needs such as bathing or mobility.
- 85% of long-term users described home care as "good or very good value," and 93% recommended it to others.
- 69% of current users said home care reduced their daily stress.