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Rich in history and with a beautiful coastline, the state of Massachusetts provides a comfortable lifestyle for retirees. Massachusetts is one of just five states enrolled in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, which shows the state's dedication to its senior population. Of the 6.5 million people who call the state home, 17% are aged 65 and older.
Massachusetts has a SeniorScore of 74, which is higher than the national score of 72. The SeniorScore measures how comfortable an area is for older adults, based on several categories. Massachusetts ranked highest for Health & Safety. The state has a high number of Medicare-registered health care providers, numerous hospitals and a large number of home health care providers. Massachusetts also has an average life expectancy of 80.5, higher than the 78.6 national average. A very high cost of living and higher property tax rates compared to national averages resulted in a low score of 58 in the Finances category.
This guide provides seniors with an overview of home care costs and resources, including financial assistance options, in Massachusetts.
Located in Lawrence, Massachusetts at 360 Merrimack Street Build 9, Home Health Vna is an in-home care service provider that offers in-home health care and also in-home personal care. Since 1981, they have been serving seniors in the Lawrence area. ...
All Care Vna-Greater Lynn Inc is a senior in-home care company located in Lynn, MA at 210 Market St. They offer home health services along with personal home care for senior clientele. For nearly 27 years, they have been ...
Located in Boston, MA at 30 Warren St, Franciscan Home Care is a home care provider offering in-home nursing services along with personal home care services. For nearly 22 years, they have been providing care to customers throughout the Boston ...
Located at 378 Page Street, Suite 3 in Stoughton, Massachusetts, Abbott Home Health Care, Inc is a in-home care company that offers home care in addition to home health care. For nearly 9 years, they have been serving customers in ...
Located in Wayland, MA at 266 Cochituate Rd, Parmenter Vna and Community Care, Inc is an in-home care company offering in-home nursing in addition to in-home personal care services. Since 1966, they have been serving clients throughout the Wayland area. ...
Located in Swansea, MA at 33 James Reynolds Road, Unit E, Cultured Care, Inc is a senior home care company offering personal home care services along with home healthcare. Since 2011, they have been helping seniors in the Swansea area. ...
Located at 1 Nelson Ter Ste 4 in Melrose, MA, Home Instead Senior Care is a home healthcare service provider that offers home health care along with in-home care. They offer multiple medical services including wound care, diabetes management, stroke ...
Circle Home is a senior home care company located in Lowell, MA at 336 Central Street PO 1965. They provide home healthcare and also personal home care for senior clients. For almost 52 years, they have been providing ...
Located in Boston, Massachusetts at 6 Beacon St Ste 525, Home Instead Senior Care is a senior home healthcare provider that offers in-home medical care and personal home care. They can provide multiple medical services including diabetes management, licensed nursing, ...
Located at 145 Washington St Ste 11 in Norwell, Massachusetts, Home Instead Senior Care is a senior home health care company offering personal care services and in-home nursing care. They offer multiple personal services like help with mobility, offering emotional ...
Caretenders is a home care service provider located in Newton, Massachusetts at 29 Crafts Street, Suite 330. They provide in-home health care along with home care for seniors. Since 1992, they have been serving customers in the Newton area. ...
Located at 750 Attucks Ln in Hyannis, MA, Bayada Nurses is a senior home care service provider offering in-home health care along with home care. Since 1998, they have been providing care to clients throughout the Hyannis area. ...
Located at 214 Lincoln St in Allston, MA, Abp Best Home Care Agency, Inc is a home health care provider that offers in-home health care and also in-home personal care. They have been operating in Massachusetts for 14 years. They ...
Located in Shirley, MA at Two Shaker Road, Suite D225, Nashoba Nursing Service & Hospice is an in-home care provider that offers in-home health care along with in-home personal care. They have been serving customers in Shirley since 1966. They ...
Home Instead Senior Care is a home care service provider located in Waltham, MA at 440 Totten Pond Rd Ste 301. They provide home health care and also personal care services to senior clientele. They offer various medical services ...
Located in Norwell, Massachusetts at 120 Longwater Cir, Nvna and Hospice is a home health care provider offering in-home personal care and in-home health care. For almost 33 years, they have been providing care to clients in the Norwell area. ...
Located in Brockton, Massachusetts at 56 Cherry St, 3rd Floor, Independent at Home is a home healthcare company that offers in-home personal care and also in-home health services. For almost 5 years, they have been serving customers throughout the Brockton ...
Located at 35 Winter St Ste 201 in Hyannis, MA, Comfort Keepers is an in-home care provider offering personal home care services and home health care. They provide multiple medical services such as post surgical care, colostomy support, occupational therapy, ...
Located in Gardner, MA at 34 Pearly Ln, Gvna Healthcare Inc is a senior in-home care company that offers in-home health care and personal care. Since 1966, they have been helping clients throughout the Gardner area. They offer different ...
Located at 80 Davis Straits, Bldg A, Unit 104 in Falmouth, MA, Bayada Home Health Care, Inc is a senior home care service provider offering personal care along with in-home medical care. Since 2011, they have been providing care to ...
Home care provides help with general living needs, while home health care provides assistance with some health care needs, such as medication administration. Genworth Financial's 2019 Cost of Care Survey estimates that the average monthly cost for home care in Massachusetts is $5,186. Home health care costs $5,243 per month, which is $57 more. These costs are higher than the national average of $4,290 for home care and $4,385 for home health care.
Massachusetts is in line with the costs for home care in several nearby states. In Rhode Island, seniors pay an average of $5,148 for both types of care. New York has a slightly lower average of $4,767 for home care, increasing to $4,857 for home health care. Costs in New Hampshire are higher than Massachusetts, with averages of $5,243 and $5,386, while Connecticut is the lowest nearby state, with average costs of $4,195 and $4,576.
Cost of Home Care | Cost of Home Health Care | |
Massachusetts | $5,186 | $5,243 |
The United States | $4,290 | $4,385 |
New Hampshire | $5,243 | $5,386 |
Connecticut | $4,195 | $4,576 |
New York | $4,767 | $4,957 |
Rhode Island | $5,148 | $5,148 |
Seniors in Massachusetts can also choose other care options. Adult day care has the lowest potential cost of $1,473 per month. With this service, seniors live at home but receive care during the day at a center. Seniors who need assisted living help pay $5,640 per month on average. Assisted living communities provide apartment homes staffed by a team that assists with the activities of daily living. Nursing home care is the most expensive option, with a semiprivate room having an average cost of $12,473 a month.
The cost of home care in Massachusetts varies significantly, from $4,757 in Pittsfield to $5,911 in Barnstable. More affordable care can be found in Springfield and Worcester, while Boston and Barnstable both have costs that are higher than the state average. In most communities, home health care costs slightly more than home care.
Cost of Home Care | Cost of Home Health Care | |
Massachusetts | $5,186 | $5,243 |
Barnstable | $5,911 | $6,006 |
Boston | $5,434 | $5,482 |
Worcester | $4,767 | $5,148 |
Springfield | $4,767 | $4,862 |
Pittsfield | $4,757 | $5,053 |
Through the PCA program, Massachusetts seniors living with permanent disabilities can live at home with the help of personal care attendants paid through the state. With this program, seniors have the right to choose and hire the PCA and also manage the PCA's schedule, but the salary is paid through MassHealth. To qualify for this program, participants must be enrolled in MassHealth Standard or CommonHealth, two of the Massachusetts Medicaid programs.
Contact Information
To learn more about hiring a caregiver through the PCA Program, call (800) 841-2900 to talk to the MassHealth Customer Service Center.
The Frail Elder Waiver is a home and community-based services waiver that allows seniors to live at home and get financial help for their health care needs. Through this program, seniors can receive a similar level of care as they would in a nursing facility while remaining at home. This includes housekeeping and companionship, as well as personal emergency response systems, complex care service and accessibility adaptations.
Contact Information
Call the MassHealth Customer Service Center at (800) 841-2900 or contact the local Aging Services Access Point for help.
Massachusetts offers a stipend of between $8,800 and $18,550 per year for family caregivers who provide assistance to seniors living at home through the Adult Family Care Program. Caregivers also receive training and support from a nurse and social worker while participating in the program. Family caregivers must undergo a screening process to ensure they are competent to care for seniors at home.
Contact Information
To learn more about this program, call Adult Family Care at (617) 440-0987.
Since the programs mentioned above might not cover all the costs associated with home care, and not everyone may be eligible, alternative payment methods will often need to be explored. Some of these alternatives include out-of-pocket arrangements with siblings, annuities, reverse mortgages, private insurance, and more. Read SeniorAdvice's Guide to Paying for Home Care to find out more about your payment and financing options.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs monitor and oversee home health care providers in the state. Home health businesses do not have to be licensed through the state. However, they do need to apply for Home Health Agency Medicare Certification if they wish to be paid through client Medicare benefits.
Scope of Care | Home care providers assist seniors with activities of daily living and personal care. They also provide companionship and help with basic housekeeping tasks. Home care involves nonmedical services, while home health care allows for basic medical care services. |
Care Plan Requirements | To apply for Medicare Home Health Agency Certification, a home health agency must provide skilled nursing and one other qualifying service, such as home health aids or occupational therapy. |
Medication Management Requirements | Home care aides are allowed to provide medication management assistance to their clients. |
Staff Screening Requirements | Massachusetts requires home health care agencies to do a background check for new hires. |
Staff Training Requirements | According to Mass Home Care, home health care providers require between 60 and 75 hours of initial training and annual in-service training. |
Medicaid Coverage | The Massachusetts Frail Elder Waiver Program and the MassHealth Personal Care Attendant Program provide Medicaid coverage to seniors living at home. |
Reporting Abuse | According to 105 CMR 155.00, home health care providers have a legal responsibility to prevent and report elder abuse. Abuse is reported to the Complaint Unit by calling the DPH Hotline at (800) 462-4450 |
Seniors in Massachusetts have access to many programs and services that help older adults maintain their independence and safely age in place. Below, we've compiled a few of the most helpful resources:
Throughout the state of Massachusetts, 350 Councils on Aging and Senior Centers provide local help to seniors on the community level. This may include transportation and meals, as well as outreach and companionship services. Many of these services are provided free of charge to qualified seniors living at home.
Contact Information
To find a local COA or Senior Center, visit https://mcoaonline.com/ and search by city or town. Seniors can also contact the Massachusetts Councils on Aging at (413) 527-6425.
Massachusetts DVS offers services to veterans to help them access benefits they may be entitled to. For seniors, this includes housing help, advocacy, long-term care, medical care and help signing up for benefits. The DVS also operates a 24-hour Veterans Crisis Line for veterans who need immediate help and support.
Contact Information
Contact the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255 or reach out to the Department of Veterans' Services at (617) 210-5480. The DVS has a main office on the 7th floor at 600 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111.
The Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE) Program provides free health insurance counseling for seniors and other Massachusetts residents who need Medicare coverage. Seniors can connect with a counselor to learn about their health care options and receive a professional assessment of what they may be eligible to receive. SHINE counselors operate out of senior centers and Councils on Aging throughout the state.
Contact Information
Call MassOptions at (800) 243-4636 to find a local SHINE counselor.
The state's Nutrition Program for Seniors has 27 separate programs throughout the state that serve meals in congregate settings or through in-home delivery services. These programs target seniors aged 60 and older. The program also offers screenings and counseling services to seniors, and its goal is to provide seniors with at least one daily balanced meal.
Contact Information
Seniors can find their community in this list of Nutrition Program sites, then contact the site directly to learn about meal options.
Massachusetts offers seniors a refundable personal state income tax credit under the Circuit Breaker tax credit program. This credit is based on the real estate taxes the senior pays for a home they own or rent and live in as their primary residence. Seniors can claim up to $1,150 as of 2020 for this credit.
Contact Information
To take advantage of the Circuit Breaker Credit, seniors need to complete Schedule CB when they file their income tax return.
The state's Executive Office of Elderly Affairs offers Home Care Services to help seniors living at home maintain their independence. Through his program, eligible seniors can get help with adaptive housing equipment, chores, companion services, grocery shopping, housekeeping and other services. These services are delivered through elder service agencies throughout the state.
Contact Information
Seniors can get help through their local elder services agency or by calling (800) 243-4636.
Prescription Advantage helps lower the cost of prescriptions for Medicare-eligible seniors in Massachusetts. This program supplements the prescription drug benefits offered through Medicare Part D or a Creditable Coverage Plan. Some seniors who are not eligible for Medicare may be eligible for Prescription Advantage.
Contact Information
Call (800) 243-4636 and press "3" for more information. Seniors can mail an application for Prescription Advantage to P.O. Box 15153, Worcester, MA 01615.
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