Home Care in Carlsbad, CA

With its idyllic location along the shores of the Pacific Ocean just north of San Diego, it’s easy to see why so many seniors opt to spend their retirement years in Carlsbad. Of the city’s 115,382 residents, 17.3%, or just under 20,000, are aged 65 and older. Carlsbad is part of San Diego County, the southernmost county in the continental United States.

Carlsbad is known for having great weather, thanks to the fact that the city sees an average of 263 sunny days each year. The temperature rarely falls below 44 degrees during the winter, and summertime highs average about 73 degrees, which means seniors can stay active outdoors year-round.

The city is known for having picture-perfect beaches, beautifully maintained parks and plenty of annual festivals and events. Each spring locals and tourists alike celebrate spring by visiting the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, a 50-acre hillside farm filled with vibrant spring flowers. LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad is a popular place to visit with the grandkids, and if you’re a shopper, you’ll find plenty of deals at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets.

On average, home care in Carlsbad cost $5,716 per month, based on 44 hours of service weekly. Home health care, which is an enhanced type of home care that includes limited medical services such as medication management and vital sign monitoring, also costs an average of $5,716.

If you find that you don’t need full-time home care, your actual monthly cost of care will be well below the figures listed in the Genworth 2020 Cost of Care Survey. You can estimate your costs by multiplying the number of hours of service you need each week by the average hourly rate in the area, which works out to about $29.98 for either home care or home health care.

The Cost of Home Care & Home Health Care in Nearby Cities

Rates for home care and home health care in Carlsbad are slightly above the statewide average of $5,529 per month. To the east, rates are much lower in El Centro where seniors pay about $4,195 for either type of in-home care. In nearby Riverside, home care and in-home care cost $5,053, while in Los Angeles, home care rates average $5,434, and in-home care runs about $5,529.

Remember that there’s not necessarily a right or wrong choice – it comes down to choosing a provider that you feel comfortable with and who’s capable of meeting your specific needs. No matter which provider you choose, you should always have a formal arrangement with your expectations and the payment rate in writing. Doing so will prevent confusion or potential disagreements down the line so that the focus remains on helping the person receiving care.

Carlsbad Senior Center

What You Should Know
Owned and operated by the City of Carlsbad, the Carlsbad Senior Center is a community center for adults aged 50 and older. The Center offers a wide range of free and low-cost activities and programs to help you stay healthy, active and connected to your community, including fitness classes, daily lunch programs and social groups. There’s also an annual AARP Tax-Aide clinic to help you complete your income taxes, and regular preventative health screening workshops to screen for diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic health issues.

Who Is Eligible?
Any Carlsbad resident aged 50 and older can participate in programs offered at the Carlsbad Senior Center.

How to Get Started
For the latest operating hours and program schedule, call the center at (760) 602-4650.

Meals on Wheels of San Diego County 

What You Should Know
Meals on Wheels of San Diego County is a volunteer-based organization that provides homebound seniors with low-cost, home-delivered lunch and dinner meals every weekday. If you also need meals to eat over the weekend, you can request cold suppers and frozen prepared meals as well.

In addition to dropping off a hot lunchtime meal, the volunteer delivery drivers will also ask how you’re doing each day, and see if you need any other assistance. You can use Meals on Wheels on a short-term basis while you’re recovering from an illness or injury, or on an ongoing basis to ensure you have healthy food to eat.

Who Is Eligible?
Any senior aged 60 and older who struggles to maintain a healthy, balanced diet because they’re homebound can request Meals on Wheels service. Meals on Wheels is also available to all disabled veterans regardless of age, as well as caregivers who support someone living with a disability.

You’ll be asked to contribute $7 daily towards the cost of your meals, but you won’t be turned away if you can’t pay. If you only need lunchtime meals, the daily cost is $4. The remainder of the cost is subsidized by Meals on Wheels of San Diego County.

How to Get Started
To sign up for Meals on Wheels, call the North County Service Center at (760) 736-9900.

City of Carlsbad Minor Home Repair Program

What You Should Know
The Minor Home Repair Program provides interest-free, five-year loans of up to $5,000 per household to homeowners who need money for essential home repairs. The loans are designed to help seniors and people living with disabilities make accessibility upgrades to their homes and to help keep Carlsbad neighborhoods safe and attractive.

Once a loan is granted, one-fifth, or up to $1,000, of the principal amount borrowed through the program is forgiven for each year the borrower owns and occupies their home. Homeowners who continue to live in their homes for the full five-year loan term won’t have to repay anything to the city.

Who Is Eligible?
If you’re the owner-occupant of a single-family home in Carlsbad, you have a low income, and you need money to maintain your property, you can apply to the Minor Home Repair Program.

How to Get Started
For more information, call the City of Carlsbad Housing Services department at (760) 434-2810.

LIFT Paratransit 

What You Should Know
LIFT Paratransit is the ADA-compliant, wheelchair-accessible transit service operated through the North County Transit District. This service is available for people who cannot use the regular, fixed-route transit service due to disability.

Curb-to-curb LIFT service is available within 3/4 mile of any NCTD BREEZE bus route or rail station, and riders need to book their service at least one day in advance. This service can be used to help riders connect with other NCTD modes, such as the SPRINTER train, as well as for local trips throughout northern San Diego County.

Who Is Eligible?
To qualify as a LIFT rider, you need to be certified as ADA-eligible. This involves having your primary care provider compete a paratransit certification letter. You then need to present your completed letter along with your photo ID at the NCTD ADA Eligibility Center, where you’ll be given a free paratransit ID card.

How to Get Started
To learn more about the LIFT paratransit service, call the NCTD Customer Service Department at (760) 966-6500.

Lionel’s Legacy – Keeping Pets Home

What You Should Know
Lionel’s Legacy is a senior dog advocacy, support and rescue organization that works to provide safe, loving homes for older dogs. The Keeping Pets Home program helps prevent the unwanted surrender of dogs with senior owners who are struggling to cover food and vet care costs.

This program provides up to $500 a year in non-repayable grants to eligible seniors. Money from these grants can be used towards dog food and medications, vet bills and other animal care expenses.

Who Is Eligible?
If you have a dog aged 7 or older, and you’re struggling to cover your pet care expenses, you can apply for assistance through the Keeping Pets Home program. Lionel’s Legacy may also be able to help you connect with other pet care services such as assistance with grooming, low-cost pet medications and volunteer dog walkers.

How to Get Started
To apply to the Keeping Pets Home program, or for more information on local resources for senior pet owners, call Lionel’s Legacy at (619) 212-5623.