It depends heavily on weekly hours needed. Home care tends to be more cost-effective under roughly 30-40 hours a week; beyond that, and especially at near-continuous supervision levels, a licensed community's flat monthly rate usually becomes the better value using Ohio's published cost medians.
The distinction that matters
Cost is only part of the decision, but it's the part families most often get wrong by assuming one option is automatically cheaper. Run the specific math for your parent's actual estimated weekly hours against Ohio's CareScout medians for home health aide and homemaker services versus the assisted living median. Beyond cost, home care preserves familiar surroundings and routine, which matters enormously for some seniors, particularly in early dementia; assisted living adds built-in staff redundancy, social engagement, and structured activities that a single in-home caregiver cannot replicate.
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