For Families

Tools and guides to help you
make the right call.

Whether you're just starting to look into care options or ready to act, everything here is free and built specifically for families like yours.

Cost comparison calculator 5-minute care readiness quiz Free downloadable guides Glossary and articles

Interactive Tool

Cost Comparison Calculator

See how live-in care stacks up against other options, based on your parent's level of need.

Not seeing your situation? Pricing is fully custom. We'll give you a real number on a free call.

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5-Minute Quiz

Is Live-In Care Right for Your Parent?

Answer 5 quick questions. We'll tell you where things stand and what makes sense next.

How often does your parent need help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, or making meals?

Does your parent have a medical condition or physical limitation that needs ongoing attention?

How do you feel about your parent's safety when they're alone at home?

How close do you live to your parent?

Has your parent had a fall, hospitalization, or medical emergency in the past year?

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Free Guides

Read it before the hard conversation.

Practical, honest guides written for adult children navigating care for the first time.

Printable Guide

How to Talk to Your Parent About Accepting Help

The most common reason families delay care isn't cost. It's the conversation. This guide gives you the exact words, the right tone, and what to avoid.

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Article

Signs Your Parent Needs More Support Than You Can Give

Most families wait too long. Here are the specific signs, from small ones you might be rationalizing to serious ones that signal it's time to act.

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Article

What Medicare Covers (and What It Doesn't)

Medicare covers less than most families expect. This plain-English breakdown explains exactly what applies to in-home and live-in care, and what your options are for the gaps.

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Glossary

Care terms, explained plainly.

The senior care world loves jargon. Here's what it actually means.

ADLs stands for Activities of Daily Living. These are the fundamental self-care tasks a person needs to function: bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, transferring (getting in and out of bed or a chair), and using the toilet. When care professionals assess how much help someone needs, ADLs are the starting point.

IADLs stands for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. These are one step up from basic self-care and include tasks like managing medications, preparing meals, handling finances, doing laundry, shopping, using transportation, and managing a phone. Difficulty with IADLs is often the first warning sign that someone needs more support.

Live-in care means a single caregiver lives in the person's home full time. They sleep there, share meals, and provide continuous support around the clock. Unlike hourly home care, there are no gaps in coverage and no rotating staff. The caregiver becomes a consistent, familiar presence in the person's daily life.

Respite care is short-term, temporary care given to provide relief to a primary caregiver. If you're currently the main person caring for your parent and need a break, respite care brings in professional support for days, weeks, or longer so you can rest, travel, or handle your own life. ByHearth can cover these situations.

Memory care refers to specialized support for people living with dementia, Alzheimer's, or other cognitive impairments. It involves specific training in managing behavioral changes, maintaining routines, preventing wandering, and preserving dignity as the condition progresses. Memory care can be provided in a dedicated facility or, with the right caregiver, at home.

A Medicaid waiver (also called a Home and Community-Based Services waiver) is a state-level program that allows Medicaid funding to be used for in-home care instead of institutional care like a nursing home. Eligibility varies by state and income. If your parent qualifies for Medicaid, it's worth checking whether your state offers a waiver that could help fund live-in care.

A care coordinator is the person at a care agency who manages the relationship between the family, the caregiver, and the care plan. At ByHearth, your dedicated coordinator is your direct point of contact. They handle scheduling, answer questions, respond to concerns, and make sure care is running smoothly. You have one person to call, not a call center.

When an agency says caregivers are "fully vetted," it should mean background checks (criminal, sex offender registry), reference verification with previous employers, identity verification, work authorization confirmation, and a skills or behavioral assessment. At ByHearth, we also conduct personal interviews and accept fewer than 5% of applicants. Ask any agency exactly what their vetting process includes.

What Matching Looks Like

Real caregiver profiles, anonymized.

Before anyone is placed, you review profiles like these and approve the match. Here's what that looks like.

Names and photos are changed to protect privacy. All profiles represent real caregiver backgrounds within our network.

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