How much does personal care cost in Michigan?

Personal care in Southeast Michigan runs $29 to $37 per hour. Personal care covers hands-on activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers, mobility, medication reminders, and feeding cues. The rate is higher than companion care because the caregiver is trained in transfer mechanics, infection control, and dignity protocols.

When does companion care upgrade to personal care?

Companion care becomes personal care the first time the caregiver provides hands-on body contact for a daily-living task — typically bathing, dressing assistance, toileting, or a transfer. We re-rate the plan at that point to make sure the caregiver has the right training and liability coverage.

Do caregivers give medications?

No. Caregivers provide medication reminders only — they do not administer or dispense medication. Affordable Home Care is a non-medical agency. For medication administration, the family works with a licensed home health agency, hospice, or visiting nurse.

How many hours of personal care does a typical client need?

It depends on the ADLs involved. Many families start at 12 hours per week (3 four-hour visits) for bathing and meal support, then scale to 20–40 hours as needs grow. Heavy mobility and transfer needs often push the plan to 4–6 hours per visit, twice a day.

Will long-term care insurance pay for personal care at home?

Yes — non-medical personal care (bathing, dressing, transfers, toileting cues) is the exact category most modern long-term care insurance policies are written to cover, once the elimination period is satisfied and the policy's ADL trigger is met. We handle carrier paperwork — care plan documentation, daily logs, claim forms, and direct submission — so families rarely have to call the insurance company themselves.

Cost Guide · Personal Care

Personal Care in Michigan: $29–$37/hr — What Each ADL Costs

Last Reviewed by Austin Adair · April 2026

Personal care in Southeast Michigan runs $29–$37 per hour as an industry average. It's hands-on help with the activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers, mobility, and medication reminders. The rate is higher than companion care because of transfer mechanics and infection-control training.

Trained caregiver assisting a senior with a safe transfer in Southeast Michigan

The Six Personal-Care ADLs

Personal care covers the six activities of daily living: bathing and hygiene, dressing and grooming, toileting and continence support, safe transfers and mobility, feeding assistance, and medication reminders. Needing help with any two ADLs is the typical threshold for stepping up from companion care to personal care at $29 to $37 per hour.

Bathing & hygiene

Sponge bath, shower assistance, oral care, hair washing. The most-requested ADL.

Dressing

Choosing weather-appropriate clothing, assisting with buttons/zippers, compression sock application.

Toileting & continence

Bathroom escorts, incontinence-product changes, perineal care, dignity protocols.

Mobility & transfers

Bed-to-chair transfers, gait-belt assistance, walker/wheelchair coordination, fall-prevention positioning.

Medication reminders

Reminders only — caregivers do NOT administer or dispense medication. We coordinate with the family/pharmacist on the schedule.

Eating & feeding cues

Meal setup, hand-over-hand feeding when needed, hydration tracking, swallowing precautions per family/SLP.

What a Real Weekly Plan Costs

A real personal-care weekly plan in Southeast Michigan runs about $348 to $444 for 12 hours (three morning bath visits), around $580 to $740 for 20 hours of daily support, and roughly $1,160 to $1,480 for 40 hours of twice-daily visits, at the 2026 $29 to $37 hourly personal-care rate.

12 hrs/week — 3 morning bath visits

~$18,000 – $23,000/year

$348 – $444/week

20 hrs/week — daily 4-hr visits

~$30,000 – $38,500/year

$580 – $740/week

40 hrs/week — twice-daily care

~$60,000 – $77,000/year

$1,160 – $1,480/week

60 hrs/week — heavy ADL needs

~$90,500 – $115,500/year

$1,740 – $2,220/week

When personal care plus overnight needs cross the 60+ hr/week mark, families typically evaluate live-in care or 24-hour shift care as the more economical structure.

How we calculated these numbers

Figures reviewed Febuary 2026 using comprehensive local data.

Hourly rate ($29–$37/hr) is our 2026 Southeast Michigan personal-care rate. Higher than companion care because caregivers train in transfer mechanics, infection control, and dignity protocols.
Weekly costs use the rate midpoint × scheduled hours; annualized figures multiply weekly × 52.
Plan tiers (12 / 20 / 40 / 60 hrs) reflect the most common starting points among families we onboard, not artificial brackets.
Medication reminders are included in the rate — administration is not, because we are non-medical. For administration, families add a licensed home health agency.

FAQ

Personal Care Cost — Common Questions

Personal care runs $29–$37/hr as an industry average. The rate is higher than companion care because of training in transfer mechanics, infection control, and dignity protocols. Estimate your week in the cost calculator.

The first hands-on bath, transfer, or toilet assist triggers the upgrade. See companion care cost for the lower tier.

No — caregivers provide reminders only. We are non-medical. For administration, see home health vs. home care.

Typical start: 12 hrs/week (3 four-hour visits). Scales to 20–40 hrs as needs grow. Discuss your situation — contact us.

Yes — personal care is the exact category most LTC policies cover. We handle carrier paperwork end to end — see how we manage LTC claims.

Estimate your weekly cost Call 248-419-5010