Home Care in Silver Spring, MD

As a census-designated place located just 6 miles from Washington, D.C., Silver Spring is a great place for seniors who want easy access to urban amenities such as shopping centers, health care services and cultural venues. Silver Springs is home to just over 81,000, and 1 in 10 residents is a senior aged 65 and older.

Silver Springs sits in the southeastern corner of Montgomery County, the most populous county in the state of Maryland. The county is known for its plentiful museums, shops and restaurants, many of which are nestled in small settlements that have an inviting, small-town feel. You can shop for freshly picked produce, artisan cheeses and mouth-watering baked goods at the Takoma Park Farmers Market on Sundays, while the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in downtown Silver Spring is a great place to catch mainstream movies and documentaries, indie films and classics.

Silver Springs is also known for its natural beauty. You can explore the nearby Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park — the perfect place to picnic while overlooking the mighty Potomac River. If you’re a history buff, the Agricultural History Farm Park is a must-visit for locals and tourists alike, and the annual World of Montgomery Festival is a great place to catch performances from world-class musicians, poets and performing artists.

Genworth’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey shows that you can expect to pay an average of $4,601 per month for home care services in Silver Spring. Home health care, which adds some limited medical care to the services provided by a homemaker, costs slightly more at $4,767 per month.

The rates documented in the Genworth Survey are based on 44 hours of care each week, which works out to about 190 hours per month. Your actual costs may be higher or lower, depending on how much in-home care you need. To determine your home care costs, you can multiply the average hourly rate of $24.13 by the number of hours of care you require. For home health care, the average hourly rate works out to $25.

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

In-home care costs in Silver Spring are close to the statewide average of $4,576 per month for home care and $4,767 for home health care. In nearby California, Maryland, seniors pay around $4,481 per month for homemaker services and $4,957 for home health care. Rates are slightly lower in Hagerstown at $4,576 for both types of care, and in Baltimore, home care runs about $4,671 per month, while home health care costs an average of $4,957 per month.

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 Takoma Park/Silver Spring

What You Should Know
Meals on Wheels is a low-cost home meal delivery service designed to help ensure that homebound seniors and adults with mobility issues have access to healthy, nutritious meals. The service provides program participants with two meals each weekday consisting of a cold bagged lunch and a hot entree complete with two side dishes.

The meals cost $7 per day, which works out to $150 per month. Seniors who cannot afford to pay the full cost of their meals can apply for a subsidy. When the volunteer drivers drop off the meals, they also take a moment to chat with each client and see if any additional services or supports are needed. This informal wellness check provides seniors and their loved ones with added peace of mind. Knowing you have a caring visitor checking in each day can help you continue to live safely in your own home.

Who Is Eligible?
Anyone in Silver Spring who needs temporary or long-term home meal deliveries due to age, illness or disability can use the Meals on Wheels service. There’s no financial eligibility criteria, and you can use the service on an ongoing basis or for just a few weeks while you’re recovering from a hospital stay or injury.

How to Get Started
To learn more about the Meals on Wheels program, call (301) 434-1922.

Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs

What You Should Know
The Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs helps connect veterans, survivors and dependents with local, state and federal resources and benefits. Staff at the Commission can help you learn about VA programs that provide additional cash benefits, which may be used toward your home care costs, such as the VA’s Aid and Attendance and Housebound enhanced pension programs.

The Commission can also provide you with information on local veterans’ service clubs and organizations, counseling and wellness programs, and transportation services to help you access VA medical services at nearby VA clinics and centers.

Who Is Eligible?
To qualify for assistance through the Commission on Veterans Affairs, you or your spouse need to be a veteran.

How to Get Started
For more information, call 311 or (240) 777-0311.

Montgomery County Department of Transportation

What You Should Know
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is the regional public transit provider serving Silver Spring and the rest of Montgomery County. The Department offers a number of transit services designed to meet the needs of older adults and people with mobility challenges, and all fixed-route buses used by the Department are lift-equipped and wheelchair-accessible.

As a senior aged 65 and older, you qualify for the Senior SmarTrip card, a discounted fare card that can be used to pay your fare on all county buses as well as the Metrobus and Metrorail. You can also use Connect-A-Ride, or CAR, a free service that links you with private, volunteer and public transit services in the county.

Who Is Eligible?
Anyone can use the fixed-route transit services provided by the County’s Department of Transportation. To qualify for discounted seniors’ fares, you must be aged 65 or older.

How to Get Started
For more information on the local public transit services and schedules, call 311 or (240) 777-0311.

Montgomery County Recreation

What You Should Know
The Montgomery County Recreation department offers a wide range of programs, activities and services designed to promote health, wellness and community engagement among older adults. The department operates a number of seniors’ community centers throughout the county where you can sign up for low-cost fitness classes, join a social club or enjoy special events such as holiday parties.

The department also helps seniors in the area connect with local social service agencies, including agencies that provide in-home care.

Who Is Eligible?
Any Montgomery County senior aged 55 and older can participate in the county’s senior programs.

How to Get Started
To learn more, dial 311 from anywhere in Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Home Care/In-Home Aide Services

What You Should Know
Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services operates the Home Care/In-Home Aide Services, or IHAS, program. This program is designed to help frail seniors and adults with disabilities avoid institutionalizing by providing in-home assistance with activities of daily living.

The number of hours of care you can receive each week through IHAS depends on your particular care needs, as well as the availability of program funding.

Who Is Eligible?
To qualify for in-home assistance through the IHAS program, you must have exhausted all of your other options for home care services. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale basis, which means that any out-of-pocket care costs involved are linked to your monthly income.

How to Get Started
To learn more about the IHAS program, call the Montgomery County Aging and Disability Resource Unit at (240) 777-3000.