Worcester Senior AdvisorWhat kinds of in-home care are there?
Skilled home health (nursing and therapy visits under a doctor's plan, usually paid by Medicare for homebound patients) and non-medical home care (hourly aides for bathing, meals, housekeeping and company, paid privately or through state programs).
Most families need the second kind for the long haul. The Aging Services Access Point for your town can arrange both an assessment and, for eligible people, services.
How many home health agencies serve Worcester County?
CMS lists 46 Medicare-certified home health agencies with offices in Worcester County, most of them in Worcester itself; agencies usually serve a wide area beyond their office town.
The home health and hospice roster lists them by town.
What does home care cost in Massachusetts?
CareScout's 2025 Massachusetts median for a non-medical caregiver is $40 an hour, $91,520 a year at 44 hours a week; the state Home Care Program charges income-based co-payments, and the Frail Elder Waiver serves MassHealth-eligible people who need a nursing-home level of care.
Do Massachusetts home care agencies need a license?
Medicare-certified home health agencies are certified by CMS and surveyed by DPH; for non-medical home care, ask any agency about worker screening, training, supervision and insurance, and whether aides are employees.
Get the agency's policies in writing, including minimum shifts and what happens when an aide calls out.
How do we find reliable home care in rural parts of the county?
Start with the Aging Services Access Point for the town, which contracts with home care agencies and knows which ones cover outlying roads, then ask agencies directly whether they have aides who live nearby.
In the North Quabbin towns, the Brookfields and the hill towns around Mount Wachusett, travel time limits how many hours agencies can staff. Build a backup plan with family and neighbors for snowstorms.
Where are Medicare-certified home health agencies located across Worcester County?
Here is how the state and CMS records distribute Medicare-certified home health agencies across Worcester County's cities and towns; 49 of the 60 have none with a local address.
| City or town | Count |
|---|---|
| Worcester | 25 |
| Holden | 3 |
| Leominster | 3 |
| Fitchburg | 3 |
| Milford | 3 |
| Spencer | 2 |
| Westborough | 2 |
| Southbridge | 2 |
| Gardner | 1 |
| Clinton | 1 |
| West Boylston | 1 |
At a glance
| In-home care in Massachusetts is | In-home care in Massachusetts is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare | Pays for skilled home health only | Pays for hourly aides |
| Public help | Home Care Program and Frail Elder Waiver at home | Available to assisted living residents |
| Cost | $40 an hour at the 2025 state median | Cheaper than assisted living at 24 hours a day |
