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Free Consultation - Call: 239-590-0861
Proudly serving families in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, and surrounding Southwest Florida communities.
In Florida, assisted living costs a median of about $5,300 per month for a private one bedroom, while full-time in-home care at the state’s median agency rate of $30 per hour runs about $5,200 to $5,700 per month for a 40 to 44 hour week. In other words, the two options cost roughly the same when care is needed during standard weekly hours. The real difference comes down to how many hours of care you actually need, and in-home care gives you something assisted living cannot: you decide the schedule, and you stay in control of the care.
Here is how the numbers break down, and how families in Fort Myers and Cape Coral can make the comparison for their own situation.
AARP surveys consistently find that about three out of four adults over 50 want to remain in their own homes as they age. In-home care is the most direct way to make that happen. A caregiver comes to you, works around your routine, and provides one on one attention that no facility can match at any price.
This comparison also leaves out something important: if you own your home, staying in it preserves that asset. Moving to assisted living means paying facility rent on top of whatever happens with the house.
According to the 2024 Genworth and CareScout Cost of Care Survey, the median cost of an assisted living community in Florida is $63,885 per year for a private one bedroom, or roughly $5,300 per month. That figure jumped 12 percent in a single year, one of the sharpest increases of any care type.
The base rate is only the starting point. Many facilities price services a la carte on top of monthly rent. Before comparing costs, ask:
Get every fee in writing up front. A $5,300 base rate can look very different once level-of-care charges are added.
The same survey puts Florida’s median home health aide rate at $30 per hour through an agency. At that rate:
Families needing round-the-clock support can also compare 24-hour and live-in care arrangements, which are priced differently than hourly shifts.
Independent caregivers referred through a nurse registry like Abby Services set their own rates, which are often below agency medians because there is no agency overhead built in.
Want the local numbers in detail?
See What a Private Caregiver Costs in Fort Myers & Cape Coral
Assisted living is a fixed monthly cost whether you need a lot of help or a little. In-home care scales to what you actually need.
If mornings and evenings are the hard parts of the day, a caregiver for 6 hours instead of 8, or 5 days instead of 7, brings the monthly cost well below assisted living. Family members can cover some shifts, with respite care filling the gaps when they need a break. You decide when someone helps you and for how long, and you can adjust as needs change.
That flexibility is the single biggest factor in the cost comparison, and it only exists on the in-home side.
Adult day care in Florida runs a median of about $120 per day, or roughly $2,400 per month for weekdays. For families where a spouse or adult child provides evening and weekend care, combining adult day services with part-time in-home care often costs meaningfully less than assisted living while keeping your loved one at home.
At full-time hours, in-home care and assisted living cost about the same in Florida. Below full-time hours, in-home care usually costs less. And at every hour level, in-home care is the only option where the care is one on one, in your own home, on your schedule.
If you are weighing these options in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, or anywhere in Lee, Collier, or Charlotte Counties, Abby Services can help you understand what a private caregiver would cost for your specific situation. We have been helping Southwest Florida families find caregivers since 1997.
Call 239-590-0861 for a free consultation.
It depends on hours. At 40 hours per week, the costs are nearly identical (about $5,200 to $5,300 per month). Below 40 hours, in-home care typically costs less. Around-the-clock care at home costs more than assisted living but provides one on one attention.
Medicare does not pay for ongoing custodial care in either setting. It covers limited skilled home health services under specific conditions. Long-term care insurance, VA benefits, and private pay are the most common ways families fund both options.
Rates depend on the schedule, the level of assistance needed, and the individual caregiver. Caregivers referred through Abby Services are self-employed and set their own rates. Call 239-590-0861 and we can walk through your situation.
