Home Care in Medford, OR

With its mild, relatively dry climate, beautiful mountain scenery and abundance of urban amenities, it’s easy to see why many seniors opt to spend their retirement years in Medford. Medford is the seat of Jackson County, and the city is home to just over 83,000 residents. Seniors aged 65 and older make up 17.6% of Medford’s population, and that number is expected to rise within the foreseeable future.

The county is served by the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport with direct commercial flights to many locations, including San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix and Denver. There’s also a number of high-quality hospitals and medical centers in the area, including the Providence Medford Medical Center, where you’ll find a number of specialty clinics, including cancer care, orthopedics and cardiovascular.

If you want to enjoy Medford’s great outdoors, you can explore the over 2,500 acres of parkland maintained by the city’s Recreation and Facilities Department. The Rogue Valley’s world-renowned vineyards are the perfect day trip destination, while the annual Heart of the Rogue Festival is a must-do event for locals and tourists alike.

Genworth’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey shows that as a senior living in Medford, you can expect to pay about $5,339 per month for in-home care. Medford’s average home care and home health care rates are the same, despite the fact that home health care services also include some limited medical care, such as medication management and catheter care.

The rates listed by Genworth are based on 44 hours of care weekly. If you’d like to get an idea of what your home care expenses will be, you can multiply the average hourly rate, $28, by the number of hours of support you think you’ll need each week.

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

In-home care costs in Medford are slightly below the statewide average of $5,472 for home care and $5,529 for home health care. Seniors in neighboring Grants Pass pay an average of $4,767 per month for either type of in-home care, while to the north, rates in Eugene are higher at $5,529 for home care and $5,577 for home health care. In the interior city of Bend, home care expenses run around $5,911, while home health care services cost about $6,101 monthly.

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.

Meals on Wheels

What You Should Know
Meals on Wheels is a meal delivery service that provides clients with a hot, nutritionally balanced lunch every weekday. Volunteer drivers distribute the meals, and the drivers also take a moment to perform an informal wellness check on each Meals on Wheels recipient.

In addition to delivering hot lunches each weekday, Meals on Wheels can also supply clients with frozen prepared heat-and-serve meals for use on the weekends and holidays. There’s plenty of variety since the menu changes daily, and all meals are dietician-approved.

Who Is Eligible?
Meals on Wheels is available to anyone aged 60 and older who is housebound due to a temporary or chronic illness, injury or disability. Individuals with a spouse aged 60 or older who is housebound can also access this service.

The minimum service period is two weeks, which means you may be able to use Meals on Wheels while you’re recovering from an illness or returning home following hospitalization. You can also use Meals on Wheels as a way to make sure you’re getting a nutritious meal each day on a long-term basis.

How to Get Started
To learn more about the Meals on Wheels program, call Food & Friends of Jackson County at (541) 734-9505.

Jackson County Veterans Services

What You Should Know
Veterans, their dependents and survivors qualify for a number of county, state and federal benefits. These benefits include the VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound enhanced pension programs, which provide eligible recipients with extra cash that can help cover home care costs.

Jackson County Veterans Services provides vets and their family members with free information, support and advocacy services. Veteran Service Officers can assist with VA claims and appeals, help with issues related to VA health care services and arrange no-cost transportation to and from VA medical centers.

Who Is Eligible?
If you’re a veteran, survivor or dependent, you’re eligible to receive free services through Jackson County Veterans Services. Appointments are normally held in the office located in the Jackson County Health and Human Services building, but phone appointments and home visits are also available for those who are unable to travel to the office.

How to Get Started
To schedule an appointment with a Veteran Services Officer, call (541) 774-8214.

Home Repair Program

What You Should Know
Keeping up with home maintenance can be a challenge, and that’s especially true for homeowners who have a low income. The Housing Authority of Jackson County runs a Home Repair Program designed to help homeowners complete critical repairs to their homes.

Under the Home Repair Program, homeowners receive a zero-interest, deferred payment loan. Money from this loan can be used to fix leaking roofs, repair electrical and structural hazards, and install safety devices such as handrails, wheelchair ramps and raised toilets for those living with mobility limitations. Homeowners only need to repay the loan when they sell or transfer ownership of their homes.

Who Is Eligible?
If you own your home, which may be a house, mobile home or other type of permanent structure, and you can’t afford the cost of home repairs, you may qualify for a zero-interest loan through the Home Repair Program.

How to Get Started
To learn more about the Home Repair Program, call the Housing Authority of Jackson County at (541) 779-5785.

Valley Lift

What You Should Know
Valley Lift is a low-cost, on-demand transportation service for individuals who are unable to use a regular, fixed-route public transit bus due to disability. Also known as ADA paratransit, Valley Lift is operated by the Rogue Valley Transportation District, and service is available within 3/4 mile of any RVTD fixed-route bus line.

All Valley Lift vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts.

Who Is Eligible?
Anyone who cannot ride the regular RVTD buses due to a temporary or permanent disability can apply to use the Valley Lift service. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, rider eligibility is based on your mobility needs. If you live with a permanent disability, you may be eligible to use Valley Lift without any time or service restrictions.

You can also apply to use Valley Lift on a temporary basis if you think that your needs will change within 1-12 months, or on a conditional basis if you only need paratransit service in certain situations.

How to Get Started
To learn more about Valley Lift and other RVTD services, call the RVTD Accessible Transportation Coordinator at (541) 842-2080, extension 1.

Medford Senior Center

What You Should Know
The Medford Senior Center is a nonprofit organization that provides seniors aged 50 and older with a wide range of free and low-cost social, preventative health and educational services.

Daily programming at the center includes quilter’s clubs, weekly tai chi lessons, movie screenings and conversational Spanish groups. The center also hosts regular hearing clinics, blood pressure screenings and fall prevention classes. Seniors can shop for deals on lightly used clothes, housewares, collectibles and crafting supplies at the center’s 2nd Chance Boutique.

Who Is Eligible?
Any Medford senior 50 and older can join the Medford Senior Center.

How to Get Started
For more information, call the Center at (541) 772-2273.