Quick Answer: Home care services fit older adults who want to stay in their own home but need regular help with bathing, dressing, meals, or getting around safely. Most clients schedule several shifts a week. At Dignified Choice Care, a nurse builds the care plan before the first visit, and every shift runs at least four hours.
Home Care Services for the Days You Can’t Be There
Home care services are scheduled visits from trained caregivers who help older adults with personal care, meals, and household tasks in their own homes. They cover the hours you can’t be with your parent, whether that means four hours each morning or most of the week. For many Twin Cities families, the search starts after a run of small warnings: a fall in the bathroom, meals skipped because cooking got hard, a daily check-in call that now runs an hour. You may already be driving over after work or trading days with a sibling, and wondering how long that can last.
Scheduled care changes that, because the same trained people handle the same routine instead of family members filling gaps as they show up. Dignified Choice Care sends your parent’s schedule one to two weeks before each month starts, so you can plan appointments and visits around it. If a caregiver calls in sick, a supervisor or client coordinator covers the shift instead of you getting a cancellation call.
Not Sure How Many Hours Your Parent Needs?
We’ll walk through a typical day with you and suggest a starting schedule.
What’s Included in Home Care Services
Home care services include hands-on help with daily routines, household tasks, and time together, all organized under one care plan. The plan spells out which tasks happen on which days, so caregivers know what to do before they walk in and you know what to expect.
Personal Care and Daily Living Support
Caregivers help with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and moving safely from bed to chair or around the house. They also take on the tasks that pile up when someone lives alone: cooking meals, doing laundry, changing bed linens, and keeping the kitchen and bathroom clean. Families who mainly need hands-on help can start with personal care.
Companionship, Errands, and Rides
Senior home care covers more than physical help. Caregivers share meals and conversation, run errands, and drive your parent to appointments, which keeps them connected to the people and places they know. For a parent who mostly needs company and help getting out, companion care is often the right fit.
Nurse Oversight of the Care Plan
A nurse manages your parent’s care plan and updates it when something changes, like a new diagnosis or a hospital stay. Nurses also set up medications so caregivers can follow the plan between visits, and nurse visits cover needs like wound care and feeding tubes. If your parent takes several medications, our medication support and management service keeps that part of the plan on track.
Care That Follows Your Parent’s Routine
Our in-home caregivers are trained on your parent’s specific routines and preferences, not a generic checklist. That matters most with memory loss, where a familiar approach keeps afternoons calmer and reduces confusion. When memory loss is part of the picture, our dementia care builds on this training.
Need care around the clock, a break for a family caregiver, or support after a hospital stay? See all of our services.
Benefits of Senior Home Care for Your Parent and Your Family
Senior home care lets your parent keep living in the home they know, with help built into the parts of the day that were starting to slip.
- Your parent stays in their own home. They keep their own bed, their neighbors, and their daily routine. Regular help at home can put off a move or make it unnecessary, which matters even more with memory loss.
- Small changes get noticed early. A caregiver who is with your parent every shift can spot when they’re eating less, favoring one leg, or repeating questions. Those changes go to the nurse managing the care plan, so the plan can adjust before a small problem becomes an ER visit.
- You get to be their son or daughter again. When bathing, meals, and rides are covered, your visits can be about time together instead of chores.
- Care can grow without starting over. Many families start with a few shifts a week and add hours or services later. The team already knows your parent, so adding overnight help or nurse visits doesn’t mean switching agencies.
The right in-home care services for seniors should make life simpler for everyone involved, not just add another schedule to manage. When you compare options, ask each home care agency who writes the care plan, how changes get reported back to you, and what happens when a caregiver calls in sick.
See What Care Could Look Like for Your Parent
Tell us about your parent’s week, and we’ll suggest where help would make the biggest difference.
How to Start Home Care Services With Dignified Choice Care
Starting care takes a few steps, and a nurse is involved from the first visit on.
Step 1: Tell Us About Your Parent
Call or fill out a short form, and we’ll talk through your parent’s daily routine, health needs, and the hours you’re looking for. This first conversation helps us suggest a starting schedule that fits.
Step 2: Meet With a Nurse for the Start of Care
A nurse visits your parent at home, reviews their health and routines, and builds the care plan with your parent and your family. The plan covers which tasks happen on which days and anything caregivers need to watch for.
Step 3: We Train Caregivers on Your Parent’s Care Plan
Before the first shift, caregivers learn your parent’s specific plan, preferences, and routines. For clients with memory loss, that training covers the cues and approaches that work best for them.
Step 4: Get Introduced in Person
A nurse or trainer comes to the first shift and introduces the new caregiver, so your parent already knows someone walking through the door. Any time a new caregiver joins your parent’s team, they’re introduced the same way.
Step 5: The Nurse Keeps the Plan Current
A nurse reviews the care plan as your parent’s needs change, and you get each month’s schedule one to two weeks ahead.
Which Home Care Schedule Fits Your Parent?
Most families start with hourly shifts on set days and adjust from there. Here’s how the main schedules compare:
| Schedule | How It Works | Best For | |
| Hourly home care | Shifts of four hours or more on the days you choose | A parent who needs help with part of the day, like morning routines or afternoons alone | |
| 24 hour home care | Caregivers cover your parent around the clock in scheduled shifts | A parent at high risk of falls, up often at night, or in later stages of dementia | |
| Respite care | A planned block of coverage for a few days, weeks, or a set day each week | A family caregiver who needs time to rest, work, or travel | |
| Transition home support | Extra hours for the first weeks after a hospital or rehab stay, then scaled back | A parent recovering from surgery, a fall, or an illness | |
Many families use more than one over time. A parent might start with a few hourly shifts, add hours after a hospital stay, and move to 24 hour home care later on. Because the care plan stays with the same team, switching schedules doesn’t mean starting over. Learn more about respite care and transition home support.
How Much Do Home Care Services Cost?
Most Twin Cities home care agencies charge about $39 to $48 per hour. In 2025, the median rate for a non-medical caregiver in Minnesota was $44 per hour, compared with $35 nationally (CareScout Cost of Care Survey, 2025). At that median, 20 hours of care a week comes to about $3,800 a month.
What your family pays depends on a few factors:
- Hours per week. Care is billed by the hour, so the schedule matters more than anything else. Families who need help most days usually budget by the week, not the visit.
- Shift minimums. Many agencies require visits of three or four hours, so a one-hour need may still be billed as a longer shift. Dignified Choice Care shifts run at least four hours.
- Level of care. Many agencies charge the same rate for companionship and personal care. Nurse services, like wound care or feeding tube care, cost more.
- Memory care needs. Some agencies charge extra for dementia care or for clients who need two people to help with transfers.
- Nights, weekends, and holidays. Overnight shifts and holiday hours often cost more, and time-and-a-half on major holidays is common.
- Agency vs. independent caregiver. Hiring someone on your own can cost less per hour. But your family then handles payroll taxes, background checks, and finding backup coverage when they’re sick.
- Add-on fees. Some agencies charge separately for mileage, assessments, or short-notice scheduling. Ask for the full fee list before you sign.
Dignified Choice Care charges one flat hourly rate, with no add-on fees for services other agencies bill separately. When you compare home care agencies, ask each one for a written estimate based on your parent’s actual schedule, and ask which payment options they accept.
Why Families Choose Dignified Choice Care
Every home care agency says it can be trusted. Here’s what we do that you can check for yourself.
We hire CNAs, retired nurses, and physical therapists, which goes beyond what Minnesota requires of home care workers. That background shows up in everyday moments, like a caregiver who knows how to help with a safe transfer or who notices that a wound looks different than it did yesterday.
Our supervisors and client coordinators spend time in clients’ homes, not just behind a desk. So when they cover a shift, they already know your parent’s care plan, routines, and the way they like their coffee.
Dignified Choice Care is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health as a home care provider. You can confirm our license status anytime in the MDH Health Care Provider Directory. Our home office is in Burnsville, and we’ve served families across the Twin Cities.
What Families Say About Our Home Care Services
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“We used Dignified Choice Care in the Twin Cities for several years to care for my mother, and we are beyond thankful for the exceptional service they provided. Every caregiver who came into our home was kind, respectful, and truly attentive to her needs. Their professionalism and compassion made a lasting impact on our entire family.
One of the things that really stood out was how easy it was to work with the administrative staff and care team. Scheduling was smooth, communication was always clear and timely, and any changes or concerns were handled with real care and flexibility. They made the entire process stress-free and reassuring.
Thanks to their consistent support, my mother was able to remain comfortably in her home—something that brought her great comfort and gave us tremendous peace of mind. I highly recommend Dignified Choice to any family in the Twin Cities looking for dependable, compassionate home care.”
– Aaron P., Google Review
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“Dignified choice has been taking care of my mother who has dementia for several years. It was such a blessing we came across Dignified Choice. The caregivers take care of my mom the way I would. They treat her with respect and loving care. If you have loved ones needing care. I highly recommend Dignified Choice you will not be disappointed.”
– Cathy F., Google Review
Ready to Plan Your Parent’s Care?
We’ll help you figure out the right schedule and services for your parent.
Home Care Services Across the Twin Cities
Dignified Choice Care serves families throughout the Twin Cities metro from our home office in Burnsville, at 2004 River Hills Drive. Many of our clients live in the south metro near our office, and our caregivers and nurses also travel across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs. Because our supervisors and client coordinators work in the field, they can reach clients across the region when a shift needs coverage. See our full list of service areas to find your parent’s community.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Care Services
What is the difference between home care and home health care?
Home care helps with daily living, like bathing, meals, errands, and companionship, and families usually pay for it privately. Home health care is short-term medical care a doctor orders, like nursing or therapy after a hospital stay, and Medicare often covers it. Many families use both at the same time.
Does Medicare pay for home care services?
Medicare does not cover ongoing non-medical home care when that is the only care your parent needs. It does cover part-time skilled care for people who are homebound. For daily help, many families pay privately or use long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance, or Minnesota’s Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care programs.
Is there a minimum number of hours for home care?
Yes. Dignified Choice Care shifts run at least four hours, which gives caregivers enough time to help with meals, personal care, and household tasks without rushing. Most clients schedule several shifts a week, and you can add hours as your parent’s needs change.
How soon can home care services start?
Start dates depend on your parent’s needs and schedule, and we’ll talk through timing at your free in-home consultation. The first steps are a nurse visit to build your parent’s care plan and an in-person introduction to their caregiver. If your parent is coming home from the hospital, tell us the discharge date so we can plan around it.
What happens if my parent's caregiver calls in sick?
A supervisor or client coordinator covers the shift, so your parent still gets care at the scheduled time. You won’t get a call asking you to find a backup or rearrange your day. Shift coverage is part of how we plan every client’s schedule.
Can home care help a parent with dementia?
Yes. Caregivers learn your parent’s specific routines, cues, and preferences before the first shift, which helps days feel familiar and calmer. A nurse adjusts the care plan as memory loss progresses. Learn more about our dementia care services.
Start Home Care Services With a Team You Can Check
When you’re ready, we’ll start with a free in-home consultation to learn about your parent’s routine, health needs, and the hours you’re looking for. From there, a nurse builds the care plan, and your parent meets their caregiver in person before care begins. Our phone line is answered 24/7, so you can call whenever the time is right for your family, or send us a short form to request your consultation.