Short answer: check what is already covered before you borrow. Medicare pays for part-time skilled home health care for a homebound person whose provider orders it, but not for 24-hour care or for help with daily living when that is the only care needed (Medicare). Medicaid home and community-based services, local agencies found through the Eldercare Locator and VA caregiver programs may help with the rest. If a gap remains, compare the full cost of any loan or card. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
What Medicare home health covers
To qualify, your parent must need part-time or intermittent skilled services and be homebound: leaving home is not recommended or needs help, and leaving normally takes a lot of effort. A doctor or other provider such as a nurse practitioner must see them in person, confirm they need home health care and order it, and a Medicare-certified home health agency must provide it (Medicare).
| Medicare covers | Medicare does not pay for |
|---|---|
| Part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care | 24-hour-a-day care at home |
| Physical, occupational and speech therapy, if conditions are met | Home meal delivery |
| Home health aide care, only alongside skilled nursing or therapy | Homemaker services such as shopping and cleaning unrelated to the care plan |
| Medical social services, medical equipment and supplies | Personal care such as bathing or dressing, when that is the only care needed |
Source for the table: Medicare. In most cases, part-time or intermittent means skilled nursing and home health aide services of up to 8 hours a day combined, for a maximum of 28 hours a week. In Original Medicare your parent pays nothing for covered home health services; after the Part B deductible, they pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered medical equipment (Medicare).
Medicaid home and community-based services
Medicaid home and community-based services let Medicaid beneficiaries receive services in their own homes or communities rather than institutions, and the programs serve groups that include older adults (Medicaid.gov). Ask your parent's state Medicaid agency which of these programs it offers and who qualifies. This page does not cover any state's rules.
Local help: the Eldercare Locator
The Eldercare Locator is a public service of the Administration for Community Living that connects older adults and their families to services, including Area Agencies on Aging. Search it online or call 1-800-677-1116 (ACL).
If your parent is a veteran
The VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers requires, among other things, that the veteran have a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, need at least 6 months of continuous in-person personal care services and be enrolled in VA health care. Eligible primary family caregivers may receive a monthly stipend (VA). The VA Caregiver Support Program lists other support for caregivers (VA).
Tax rules to know
- Medical expenses you pay for your dependent can count toward the medical expense deduction, but only the total above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income is deductible (IRS Pub. 502).
- Qualified long-term care services can count as medical expenses when a licensed health care practitioner has certified the person as chronically ill within the previous 12 months and the services follow a plan of care that practitioner prescribed (IRS Pub. 502).
- Pay for nursing-type services, such as giving medication or bathing the patient, can count even if the person is not a nurse; pay for household services does not (IRS Pub. 502).
- The child and dependent care credit can apply to care for a person who was not physically or mentally able to care for themselves, lived with you for more than half the year and was your dependent (with some exceptions), when you pay for the care so you can work or look for work (IRS Pub. 503).
- If you pay someone to come to your home to care for your dependent, you may be a household employer who has to pay employment taxes (IRS Pub. 503).
These IRS publications are for 2025 returns. This is general information, not tax advice; ask the IRS or a tax professional about your case.
If a gap remains: what borrowing costs
Example only, our calculation: $5,000 borrowed and repaid in 24 equal monthly payments, no fees, at the August 2026 averages of 11.90% for a 24-month personal loan and 22.36% for credit card plans (Federal Reserve G.19). Your own rate depends on your credit and the lender.
| Monthly payment | Interest | Total repaid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal loan, 11.90% APR | $235.13 | $643.12 | $5,643.12 |
| Credit card, 22.36% APR | $260.28 | $1,246.72 | $6,246.72 |
Loan payment: P x r / (1 - (1 + r)-n), r = APR / 12, rounded to the cent. A card payment depends on your card's minimum payment rules; this example assumes you pay the same fixed amount each month until the balance is gone. Care that goes on month after month is an ongoing cost, so check whether the payment still fits once the loan money is spent.
Related: medical bills: payment plan vs a personal loan, hearing aid costs and options and a personal loan on Social Security income.
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Disclosure: Modern Lending Solutions is not a lender, loan broker or agent for any lender or loan broker, and does not make credit decisions. Any compensation we receive is paid by participating lenders, only for advertising services. This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Home health services coverage
- Medicaid.gov: Home and Community-Based Services
- Administration for Community Living: Eldercare Locator
- VA: Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
- VA Caregiver Support Program
- IRS Publication 502: Medical and Dental Expenses
- IRS Publication 503: Child and Dependent Care Expenses
- Federal Reserve: G.19 Consumer Credit (released October 7, 2026), terms of credit, August 2026: credit card plans and 24-month personal loans