What Right At Home is and who runs it
Right At Home is a franchise network of home care agencies operating in the United States and several other countries. It is not a government program — it is a private company with independently owned and operated locations in different regions. Each franchise operates under the Right At Home brand but is run by a local owner who hires caregivers, sets service hours, and manages billing in their area.
Right At Home provides non-medical home care, meaning caregivers help with daily living tasks rather than skilled nursing or medical procedures. The types of support available depend on what your local Right At Home office offers and what your situation requires. Because Right At Home is a private business, you pay out of pocket, through insurance, or through government programs like Medicaid — depending on your location and what that program covers.
The company does not determine who receives services. You contact your local Right At Home office directly, describe what you need, and they tell you whether they can help and what it will cost. If you are using Medicaid or another program to pay, you will need to check whether that program covers Right At Home services in your state first.
Key Takeaways
- Right At Home is a private home care franchise network, not a government program, so you pay directly or through insurance and Medicaid programs that cover it.
- Services include help with bathing, dressing, meals, medication reminders, light housekeeping, and companionship — but not skilled nursing or medical care.
- You contact your local Right At Home office to discuss your needs and get pricing; availability and cost vary by location.
- Some state Medicaid programs cover Right At Home services, but coverage differs by state and by the specific Medicaid plan you have.
- Right At Home caregivers are employees of the franchise, not independent contractors, which affects how they are trained and supervised.
Types of care Right At Home provides
Right At Home caregivers help with activities of daily living — the tasks people need help with to stay in their homes. This includes bathing and showering, dressing, grooming, using the toilet, and getting in and out of bed. Caregivers also prepare meals, do light housekeeping, do laundry, and run errands like grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions.
Companionship and transportation are part of the service. Caregivers can sit with you, talk, play games, or help you get to appointments. Some offices offer specialized care for people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, which means caregivers have extra training in how to communicate and respond to behavioral changes.
Right At Home does not provide skilled nursing, wound care, physical therapy, or medical procedures. If you need those services, you would use a different home health agency or a visiting nurse service. Some people use Right At Home alongside a skilled nursing agency — one handles medical care, the other handles daily living support.
How much Right At Home costs and how to pay
Right At Home charges by the hour, and the hourly rate varies significantly by location. Rates in urban areas are typically higher than in rural areas. Your local Right At Home office will quote you a rate when you call. Most offices offer different pricing for different times of day — evening and overnight care often costs more than daytime care.
You can pay out of pocket if you have the funds. Some people use long-term care insurance, which may cover part or all of the cost depending on the policy. Medicare does not cover non-medical home care like Right At Home provides, but some Medicare Advantage plans may offer limited coverage for certain services.
Medicaid covers home care in most states, but the program is called different things in different places — sometimes "In-Home Supportive Services," sometimes "Personal Care Services," sometimes "Home and Community-Based Services." Whether Medicaid covers Right At Home depends on whether your state's Medicaid program contracts with Right At Home in your area. You can call your state Medicaid office or your local Right At Home to find out. If Medicaid does cover it, you may have a copay or the program may cover the full cost.
How to contact Right At Home and what to expect
You find your local Right At Home office by visiting the Right At Home website and using their location finder, or by searching "Right At Home" plus your city name. Each office has its own phone number. When you call, you will speak with someone who asks about your situation — what help you need, how many hours per week, what times of day, and whether you have any special needs like dementia care or language preferences.
The office will tell you whether they can serve your area and what the hourly rate is. If you want to move forward, they will schedule an in-home assessment where a Right At Home representative visits you, talks through your needs in more detail, and answers your questions. This assessment is usually free. After that, if you decide to hire Right At Home, they will match you with a caregiver and set up a schedule.
Right At Home caregivers are employees of the franchise, not independent contractors. This means the office handles their payroll, taxes, background checks, and training. You do not hire the caregiver directly — Right At Home does. If you have a problem with a caregiver or need to change your schedule, you contact the office and they handle it.
Medicaid coverage for Right At Home services by state
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program, which means each state designs its own Medicaid plan and decides what services it covers. Some states cover non-medical home care through Medicaid; others do not. Some states cover it only for certain groups of people — for example, elderly people or people with disabilities — or only up to a certain number of hours per month.
Whether Right At Home is covered in your state depends on two things: whether your state's Medicaid program covers non-medical home care at all, and whether Right At Home is a provider your state's program contracts with. You can find out by calling your state Medicaid office or by asking Right At Home directly when you call for a quote. If Right At Home is not covered in your area, your state Medicaid office can tell you which home care agencies are.
If you are on Medicaid and Right At Home is covered, you will need to show your Medicaid card when you start services. Right At Home will bill Medicaid directly for the hours you use. You may have a small copay depending on your state's rules, but Medicaid covers most or all of the cost.
Differences between Right At Home and other home care options
Right At Home is one of many home care agencies. Other national chains include Visiting Angels, Comfort Keepers, and Amedisys; there are also many independent local agencies. The main differences are size, location coverage, specialization, and cost.
Right At Home is a franchise, which means consistency in training and standards across locations, but each office is independently owned. A national agency like Amedisys may have more locations and more integrated services, including skilled nursing. A local independent agency may have lower overhead and more flexibility in pricing or scheduling. Some agencies specialize in dementia care or care for specific populations.
If you are using Medicaid, your state's program may contract with some agencies and not others. If you are paying out of pocket, you can choose any agency that serves your area. It is worth calling a few offices to compare rates, availability, and what services they offer.
Questions to ask your local Right At Home office
When you call Right At Home, have a clear picture of what you need before you dial. Write down how many hours per week you think you need, what times of day, and what tasks are most important to you. Ask about the hourly rate, whether there are minimum hours per visit or per week, and whether there are extra charges for travel time or services outside normal business hours.
Ask whether Right At Home is a Medicaid provider in your area and, if so, what the process is for billing. Ask about caregiver training, background checks, and what happens if you are not happy with the caregiver you are matched with. Ask how far in advance you need to schedule and whether they can accommodate last-minute changes. Ask whether they offer the specialized services you need — dementia care, for example, or help with a specific language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Right At Home accept Medicare?
Original Medicare does not cover non-medical home care like Right At Home provides. Some Medicare Advantage plans may offer limited coverage for certain services, but you would need to check your specific plan. Medicaid covers Right At Home in many states, and private insurance or out-of-pocket payment are other options.
Can Right At Home help with medication management?
Right At Home caregivers can remind you to take your medications and help you organize them, but they cannot administer injections or perform medical procedures. If you need someone to give you shots or manage complex medications, you need a skilled nursing service instead.
What if I need care at night or on weekends?
Right At Home offices vary in their hours. Some offer evening and weekend care; others do not. Call your local office to ask what times they can serve. Evening and overnight care typically costs more than daytime care.
How do I know if Right At Home is licensed or regulated?
Home care agencies are regulated at the state level, not federally. Regulations vary by state — some states require licensing, others do not. Ask your state's health department or your local Right At Home office what regulations explore in your area and what credentials the caregivers have.
What happens if I am not satisfied with the caregiver I am matched with?
Contact your local Right At Home office and tell them. They can assign you a different caregiver. You do not hire or fire the caregiver directly — the office handles all employment matters and can make changes if you are not comfortable with the match.