Northern Virginia and Greater Pittsburgh
24-Hour Home Care
Some families need more than a few hours of help each day. When a loved one can no longer be safely left alone, because of memory changes, a recent hospital stay, a fall or advancing age, 24-hour home care keeps someone awake and available in the home day and night.
CareLiving provides 24-hour home care across Northern Virginia, and families in Greater Pittsburgh can speak with our Wexford office about around-the-clock support. Start dates depend on the care assessment, caregiver availability and any required service authorization.
What Is 24-Hour Home Care?
24-hour home care means a caregiver is awake and on duty in the home at all times. Caregivers work in rotating shifts planned to provide continuous awake coverage. No one on duty is scheduled to sleep, which is the key difference from live-in care.
How it compares with other schedules
- 24-hour shift care: continuous awake coverage through rotating caregivers.
- Live-in care: a caregiver stays in the home, with scheduled care, rest and sleep periods. Live-in care does not provide continuous awake supervision.
- Overnight care: support during agreed nighttime hours, with daytime coverage arranged separately.
If help is needed several times a night, or someone must be watched while others sleep, awake shift coverage is usually the arrangement to discuss. Our guide to live-in care vs. 24-hour shift care explains the choice in more detail.
What Caregivers Help With, Day and Night
Care follows a written care plan built around your loved one’s routine. This page describes non-medical caregiver support. Skilled nursing and other clinical services require a separate assessment and arrangement.
During the day
- Bathing, dressing, grooming and toileting (personal care)
- Meal preparation, hydration and medication reminders
- Walking, transfers and moving safely around the home
- Companionship, familiar activities and light housekeeping connected to care
Overnight
- Help with bathroom trips
- Repositioning and help getting in and out of bed
- Calm reassurance and redirection for someone living with dementia
- Watching for attempts to get up or leave the home without help
Families often start looking at around-the-clock care after a fall, a hospital or rehabilitation stay, nighttime confusion, or when a family caregiver can no longer cover every hour. After a hospital stay, our post-hospital care can be part of the plan.
How 24-Hour Care Is Arranged
How Care Starts: The Assessment
We begin with a free, no-obligation consultation in your loved one’s home. We ask about the whole day and night: when help is needed, what happens during the hours no one is there, mobility and transfer needs, memory changes, and the routines that matter to your loved one. From that we write a care plan and decide together whether 24-hour shift care, live-in care, overnight care or a shorter schedule fits best. Start dates depend on the care assessment, caregiver availability and any required service authorization.
Scheduling Around-the-Clock Care
Around-the-clock care is provided by caregivers working in rotating shifts rather than by one person. How many caregivers are involved depends on the weekly schedule and rest days. During the consultation, ask us how shift handovers, family updates and backup coverage would be arranged for your loved one’s schedule.
How Families Pay for 24-Hour Home Care
Payment options depend on your circumstances, coverage and approved services.
- Private pay. See our home care costs guide for what affects the total.
- Long-term care insurance, depending on the policy terms.
- Virginia Medicaid: eligible individuals may receive personal care and respite services through Virginia’s CCC Plus Waiver. Coverage and approved hours depend on eligibility, assessment and service authorization.
- Veterans: veterans and surviving spouses may be eligible for the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit. See our veterans care page.
Coverage for some services or hours does not necessarily cover a full 24-hour schedule. Our Medicaid home care page explains how Medicaid personal care hours are authorized and includes a worksheet for mapping uncovered periods. The Medicaid information above applies to Virginia. Families in Greater Pittsburgh can call our Wexford office at 412-900-8761 to discuss payment options.
Why Families Choose CareLiving
- Caregivers are screened and background-checked before they join a care team.
- A free consultation to talk through care needs, scheduling and availability.
Service Areas
Northern Virginia
Areas we serve in Northern Virginia include:
- Fairfax County and nearby independent cities: Fairfax, Herndon, Reston, McLean, Vienna, Oakton, Centreville, Chantilly, Burke and Falls Church
- Loudoun County: Ashburn, Sterling and Leesburg
- Arlington and Alexandria: Arlington and Alexandria
- Prince William County and Manassas: Woodbridge and Manassas
Local 24-hour guides: McLean, Chantilly, Centreville and Woodbridge. Call 571-599-7467.
Greater Pittsburgh
Our Greater Pittsburgh office in Wexford serves families in Wexford, Cranberry Township, Sewickley and McCandless and the North Hills. Call 412-900-8761.
Contact the relevant office to confirm caregiver availability for your location, care needs and requested schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some families use 24-hour care for a few weeks after a hospital or rehabilitation stay; others need it longer term. We set the schedule around your loved one’s needs and review it with you as those needs change.
Start dates depend on the care assessment, caregiver availability and any required service authorization. For urgent situations, call us directly at 571-599-7467 in Virginia or 412-900-8761 in Pennsylvania.
With 24-hour shift care, caregivers rotate so someone is always awake. With live-in care, a caregiver stays in the home with scheduled care, rest and sleep periods, and does not provide continuous awake supervision.
Coverage depends on the plan. Long-term care insurance may help depending on the policy. In Virginia, eligible individuals may receive personal care and respite services through the CCC Plus Waiver, with approved hours based on eligibility, assessment and service authorization. Coverage for some services or hours does not necessarily cover a full 24-hour schedule. We can review your options at the consultation.
Look at what happens during the hours nobody is there. If your loved one cannot safely be left alone, needs help several times a night, or is at risk of falls or leaving the home without help, 24-hour shift care is worth discussing. A free consultation helps you decide.
Caregiver continuity depends on the schedule and caregiver availability. During the consultation, ask us how the rotation, handovers and backup coverage would be arranged for your loved one.
Ready to Get Started?
When your loved one needs someone there around the clock, CareLiving can help you plan it.
Call 571-599-7467 in Northern Virginia or 412-900-8761 in Greater Pittsburgh, or contact us online for a free care consultation.
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