Indiana's 2025 CareScout median for non-medical home care is $35 an hour. At that rate, a 40-hour week already costs more than Indiana's $5,639 assisted living median, so the crossover point arrives sooner than most families expect.
Where each usually wins
Below roughly 30-35 hours a week of needed care, staying home is usually the cheaper option, especially when family can cover evenings and weekends. Above that, a community's flat monthly rate, even with its separate care-level fee, usually costs less than scaling up hourly home care.
What home care can't replace
Assisted living adds supervised activities, on-site staff around the clock, and a secured environment that hourly home care -- even at high weekly hours -- does not automatically provide.