Nearly two-thirds of family caregivers searching for in-home care expect those arrangements to be long-term or permanent — a finding that signals a fundamental shift in how American families are approaching elder care, according to a new industry report.
The finding comes from A Place for Mom’s 2026 “What Makes Home Care Work” report, published July 21. The study, conducted by Morning Light Strategy in April 2026, surveyed 708 U.S. caregivers between the ages of 40 and 85 who provide nonmedical support to adults 55 and older.
Sixty-two percent of active home care searchers said they expect home care to be a long-term or permanent solution. Rather than treating professional in-home support as a temporary bridge to institutional placement, most families now appear to view it as a durable strategy for keeping aging relatives at home.
Loved Ones’ Preferences Drive the Decision
The top motivation for pursuing home care was unambiguous: 63% of respondents cited a loved one’s preference to receive care at home as a primary reason.
“Home care provides support while preserving independence for aging loved ones,” said Martin Hernandez, general manager of family sales across senior living and home care at A Place for Mom. “It preserves their independence, but also routines and dignity.”
For families already receiving home care, that expectation has largely been met. Seventy percent of active searchers said they expected home care to help their loved one remain living at home, and 64% of families with care in place reported it had already achieved that goal.
Fast Adoption, Growing Hours
Once families commit to home care, they tend to act quickly. Sixty-two percent began services within two weeks of starting their search, and 26% initiated care within one week.
The investment also deepens over time. Forty-four percent of current home care users expect weekly hours to increase within the next 12 months, suggesting that families are not only sustaining home care arrangements but expanding them as needs evolve.
Family caregivers remain substantially involved even after professional help arrives. On average, they manage five to six caregiving responsibilities in addition to coordinating with hired care providers, spending roughly 12 to 13 hours per week in that oversight role, the report found.
Cost Remains the Primary Barrier
Despite strong satisfaction rates — 83% of current users report professional caregivers meet all or most of their support needs — cost continues to limit access for many families.
The national median home care rate is $34 per hour, translating to approximately $35,457 annually for a 20-hour-per-week schedule and $78,006 for a 44-hour arrangement. Forty-five percent of families who discontinued home care cited expense as their reason for stopping.
Among those who have sustained arrangements for more than a year, 85% reported that home care delivers good or very good value for the cost.
“Families often turn to home care to preserve independence for their loved ones, reduce pressure on family caregivers, and make aging at home more sustainable as needs change,” Hernandez said. “When care is flexible, dependable, and aligned with a family’s changing needs, it can deliver meaningful value for both older adults and the people supporting them.”
A Nation Leaning Toward Home
The report reflects a broad national pattern. More than 63 million Americans now provide unpaid care to an adult relative, a nearly 50% increase since 2015, according to AARP’s 2026 “Valuing the Invaluable” report. Their combined contribution — 49.5 billion hours of care annually — represents an economic value exceeding $1 trillion.
The preference for aging at home is consistent across the population. More than 85% of adults aged 65 and older say they wish to remain in their own homes as long as possible. Employment in home health care services is projected to grow 20% between 2023 and 2033, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, reflecting both demographic demand and a sustained public preference for in-home care over institutional settings.
Why This Matters for Home Care
As more families commit to home care as a long-term plan rather than a short-term stopgap, the physical environment where that care happens becomes a permanent concern — not a temporary accommodation. Equipment choices, room layouts, and safety infrastructure that were once treated as interim measures now need to hold up over years of daily use.
For families setting up a home care room built to last, the SonderCare Aura line offers hospital-certified safety features — including a FallSafe ultra-low platform height of 10 inches and hi-lo height adjustment from 10 to 39 inches to support both care recipients and the family caregivers assisting them — in designs built for a bedroom, not a clinical setting. Explore options at sondercare.com/beds/ or call a care specialist to find the right fit for your family’s situation.
Sources: Home Health Care News, Home Care Post, AARP Valuing the Invaluable 2026, A Place for Mom Caregiver Statistics
