Home care in New York City
How to compare home care agencies in NYC
Start with the ZIP where care will take place and the kind of help you need. Once you have a shortlist, call each agency to confirm it can cover the address, tasks and schedule.
Use the NYC borough finder to start a care request. For care in Queens, the Queens agency guide goes into ZIP coverage, caregiver language and shift availability.
Find agencies to call
- Check what type of care each agency provides. Ask whether it serves your ZIP, even if its office is in another borough.
- Write down the tasks and schedule you need. Separate daily help, such as bathing or meal preparation, from nursing or therapy ordered by a clinician.
- Compare two or three agencies with the same list of needs. Ask each for its earliest start and the next step to arrange an assessment.
Ask the same questions on each call
- Do you serve this ZIP, and what days and times can you cover?
- Can the same caregiver return regularly, and who covers a missed shift?
- Can you match the tasks, language and communication needs we discussed?
- Who supervises care, and whom should we call if the schedule or needs change?
- What is the minimum shift, how do you charge for weekends and what fees should we expect?
Before you choose
Ask for the schedule, services, rate and cancellation terms in writing. Use the cost guide to compare quotes and see which coverage questions to ask.