In-home care in Fairfield County, Connecticut

What kinds of in-home care are available in Connecticut?

There are two kinds: skilled home health (nursing, therapy and aide visits under a doctor's plan) from DPH-licensed home health care agencies, and non-medical homemaker and companion care from agencies registered with the Department of Consumer Protection.

DPH's license export shows 27 home health care agencies with Fairfield County addresses, and CMS lists 7 Medicare-certified hospices with offices in the county. Ask any agency which license or registration it holds, and whether its caregivers are employees or contractors.

What does in-home care cost in Connecticut?

CareScout's 2025 Connecticut median for a non-medical caregiver is $82,368 a year at 44 hours a week, about $36 an hour, and Medicare-covered home health visits cost an eligible patient nothing.

At about 55 hours a week, home care costs as much as the assisted living median. See home care vs. assisted living.

Who pays for care at home?

Medicare pays for skilled home health for homebound patients; the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders pays homemaker, companion, aide and adult day services for people 65 and older who qualify; VA Aid and Attendance and long-term care insurance help others.

Call CHCPE at 1-800-445-5394 (press 4) to make a referral.

How do we choose a home care agency in Fairfield County?

Ask whether the agency is a DPH-licensed home health care agency or a homemaker-companion agency registered with Consumer Protection, whether caregivers are employees with background checks, how it covers missed shifts, and what its minimum hours are.

For Medicare home health, the physician's order sets the services; ask how soon the agency can start after discharge. For private hourly care, ask for the rate in writing and the policy on holidays and overtime.

Can family members be paid to provide care?

Not as personal care assistants under the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders, which bars paying family members in that role; other Connecticut programs and some long-term care insurance policies treat family caregivers differently, so ask.

If a family member is paid privately, put the arrangement in a written care agreement; informal payments can cause problems with a later HUSKY C application.

Where is in-home care licensed across Fairfield County?

Here is how the state and CMS records distribute licensed home health care agencies across Fairfield County's towns; 12 of the 23 towns have none.