Holiday home care takes more planning than any other time of year. For families caring for an aging parent, a spouse with health needs, or a relative who lives alone, the season brings a scheduling puzzle. Regular caregivers want time with their own families. Relatives are traveling or working extra shifts. Winter weather can make Philadelphia area roads slow. And through all of it, your loved one still needs help getting up, eating well, taking medication, and staying safe.
This guide from A-Team Home Care, a licensed home care agency serving Philadelphia, Bucks County, and the surrounding Pennsylvania counties, explains how to plan holiday coverage, what a holiday day of care costs at the Pennsylvania median, which questions to ask about rates, and how to avoid last minute stress.
Why the Holidays Put Extra Pressure on Home Care
Home care runs every day of the year, but the holidays change who is available. Several things tend to collide at once:
- Caregivers have families, religious observances, and traditions of their own, and they deserve to enjoy them.
- Family members who normally help may be traveling, hosting, or working.
- Routines at home get disrupted by guests, meals at unusual hours, and late nights.
- Winter weather, holiday traffic, and reduced transit schedules make getting to a client’s home harder.
- Doctor offices and pharmacies often keep shorter hours, so refills and appointments are easier to miss.
None of this is a reason to worry. It is a reason to plan earlier than you think you need to. Families with the calmest holidays are usually the ones who talked to their care provider before the calendar filled up.
Start the Holiday Scheduling Conversation Early
Look at the whole holiday calendar and decide which days matter most for coverage: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and any other dates important to your household. Then look at the days around them, because the days before and after a holiday are often when family travel creates gaps.
When you contact your home care agency, bring answers to these questions:
- On which days will family members be present, and on which days will your loved one be alone?
- Does your loved one need help with meals, bathing, dressing, mobility, or medication reminders on those days?
- Will overnight guests change the daily routine?
- Does your loved one need a companion to attend a service, a gathering, or a family dinner?
- Is there a day when you only need a few hours of relief so you can rest, run errands, or attend an event?
Having this ready lets the agency match the right caregiver to the right shifts and tell you honestly what it can cover. At A-Team, recurring relief hours go to the same caregiver where possible, so your loved one is not meeting a stranger on a holiday, and the first relief shift typically starts within 24 to 48 hours of your call. Our respite care page explains how holiday relief, overnight, and weekend coverage work.
What a Holiday Day of Home Care Costs
Home care is billed by the hour. The CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts the Pennsylvania median for a non-medical caregiver at $34 an hour, and the national median at $35 (CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey). At the Pennsylvania median, a single holiday day adds up like this:
That works out to $136 for a 4 hour visit, $272 for an 8 hour shift, $408 for a 12 hour shift, and $816 for 24 hours of coverage. These are median figures, not a quote. Some agencies bill certain holidays at a different rate because caregivers are giving up time with their own families, and others keep the same rate year round. Our guide to home care cost in Philadelphia explains what moves the hourly price.
Questions to Ask About Holiday Rates
There is no single rule that applies to every provider, so ask directly and get the answer in writing:
- Which specific days are treated as holidays for billing?
- Is there a different hourly rate on those days, and how is it calculated?
- Is there a minimum number of hours per visit on a holiday?
- How are partial days, split shifts, and overnight stays billed?
- What happens if a visit is canceled or moved because of illness or snow?
A trustworthy agency answers these plainly and puts the details in your service agreement. If an answer feels vague, ask again. You should never be surprised by a holiday bill.
Matching the Right Type of Care to Each Holiday Need
Not every holiday gap needs the same kind of help. Thinking about what your loved one needs on each day keeps the plan simple and the cost reasonable.
Companion care fits when your loved one is mostly independent but would benefit from company, conversation, light meal preparation, and a safe presence in the home. It suits a quiet holiday when family is far away, or a season that feels lonely.
Personal care is the better choice when your loved one needs hands on help with bathing, dressing, toileting, getting in and out of bed, or moving safely around the house. These needs do not take a holiday off, and they are the hardest for relatives to cover while hosting or traveling.
Many families use a mix. A caregiver might come in the morning for personal care and breakfast, step away while family gathers for a meal, and return for the evening routine. If nights are the hard part, 24 hour home care uses awake caregivers on rotating shifts. Planning shifts around the family’s actual day, instead of a standard block of hours, makes the holiday smoother for everyone.
Protecting Routines When the House Is Full of Guests
A busy holiday gathering can be wonderful, and it can also be tiring for an older adult. Noise, unfamiliar faces, rich food, and late nights can throw off sleep, appetite, medication timing, and mood. For someone living with memory loss, the disruption is often more noticeable; our Alzheimer’s and dementia care page and our guide to sundowning explain why late afternoons and crowded rooms can be harder.
A caregiver can protect the routine while still letting your loved one enjoy the celebration:
- Keeping medication reminders on schedule even when meals move.
- Offering a quiet room where your loved one can rest during a long gathering.
- Helping with mobility between rooms, tables, and seating.
- Watching for fatigue, confusion, dehydration, or discomfort and telling the family.
- Keeping walkways clear of bags, coats, and decorations that could cause a fall.
Every A-Team respite client has a written nursing care plan, and respite care is supervised by a registered nurse, so a relief caregiver arriving on a holiday knows what your loved one needs. Share your plan for the day ahead of time so the caregiver can work quietly in the background instead of guessing.
What Medicare Does Not Cover, and Help Families Overlook
Holiday planning is a good moment to look at how you pay for care overall. Medicare’s own coverage page says it does not pay for “24-hour-a-day care at your home” or for “custodial or personal care that helps you with daily living activities (like bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom), when this is the only care you need” (Medicare.gov, Home health services). Our explainer on Medicare versus Medicaid home care in Pennsylvania covers what each program pays for.
Veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, which adds a monthly payment to a VA pension for those who need help with daily activities (VA, Aid and Attendance benefits). A-Team is an enrolled VetAssist provider and handles the VA application at no cost; our veterans home care page explains how it works. The application takes time, so start before you need the money.
Some Pennsylvania families can also be paid for caring for a relative. If you already provide most of the care yourself, our Family Caregiver Program page explains how that works. For statewide aging services, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging is a reliable starting point.
Why Families Trust A-Team Home Care at the Busiest Time of Year
A-Team Home Care has served families in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and the surrounding Pennsylvania counties since 2016, providing companion care, personal care, 24 hour care, and Medicare certified home health care. In November 2024, Channel 6 ABC Action News (WPVI Philadelphia) visited our Philadelphia office for a Thanksgiving feature on the caregivers who work through the holidays so families can spend the day with their loved ones at home.
Our community recognition includes the Philadelphia Inquirer Philly Favorites, a Top 20 place on the Philadelphia100 in 2025, and Best of Bucks Senior Care on the 2025 Bucks Happening List. We treat that recognition as a reminder that families are trusting us with the people they love most. You can read what families say on our reviews page.
A Simple Holiday Care Checklist for Families
Use this list to pull everything together in one sitting with a calendar:
- Mark the dates that matter most, including the days before and after each holiday.
- Write down what help your loved one needs on each of those days.
- Call your home care agency and share the plan.
- Ask how holiday days are billed and get the answer in writing.
- Confirm who the caregiver will be, and introduce them to visiting relatives.
- Refill medications and confirm pharmacy and doctor hours before offices close.
- Leave a clear list of emergency contacts, medications, and allergies where the caregiver can find it.
- Decide on a backup plan for snow, illness, or travel delays.
If you are still deciding whether your loved one is ready for outside help, a few visits over the holidays often show exactly how much support is useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I arrange holiday home care coverage?
As early as you can. Holiday dates fill up because many families need help on the same days, and caregivers plan their own time off in advance. Calling your agency well before the season gives everyone room to build a reliable schedule and gives you time to adjust if plans change.
Does home care cost more on holidays?
It depends on the agency. Some bill certain holidays at a different rate, and others do not. The CareScout 2025 Pennsylvania median for a non-medical caregiver is $34 an hour, so an 8 hour holiday shift at the median is $272. Ask which days count as holidays, how the rate is calculated, and whether there are minimum hours, and get the answer in writing.
Can a caregiver help for just a few hours on a holiday?
Often, yes, depending on the agency and any minimum visit length. Short visits help with meals, medication reminders, or giving a family member a break. A-Team respite care covers hourly, overnight, weekend, and longer relief, and the first relief shift typically starts within 24 to 48 hours of your call.
Does Medicare pay for holiday home care?
Not for custodial care alone. Medicare.gov says Medicare does not pay for 24 hour a day care at home or for personal care with daily activities like bathing and dressing when that is the only care you need. Families usually pay privately, use long term care insurance, VA benefits, or Pennsylvania programs.
Can veterans get help paying for holiday home care?
Some veterans and surviving spouses qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, which adds a monthly payment to a VA pension for people who need help with daily activities. A-Team is an enrolled VetAssist provider and handles the VA application at no cost, so mention veteran status on the first call.
What if my loved one does not want a caregiver during a family holiday?
This is common. Explain that the caregiver is there to support the day, not take it over. Some families start with a short companion visit so their loved one can meet the caregiver in a relaxed setting before the holiday itself.
If you would like to plan holiday home care for someone you love, A-Team Home Care can talk it through with you. Call (215) 490-9994 or contact our team to share your family’s schedule, ask how holiday days are billed, and get a written plan for the season.
