Home Care in Louisiana: Top-Rated In-Home Care Agencies by City

Aging at home in Louisiana

In Louisiana, 17.8 percent of residents are 65 or older, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey. Older adults are found in the low alluvial lands along the Mississippi River and the Gulf, in places such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, and also in the hill country of North Louisiana around Shreveport, a different setting entirely. Louisiana is organized by parish rather than county, and the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs works through 64 Parish Councils on Aging. Families arranging private-pay, non-medical help at home usually begin with the parish where the older adult lives, then compare agencies that actually serve that area.

17.8% of Louisiana residents are 65 or older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates, table B01001 (via Census Reporter).

Cities, towns and neighborhoods we cover

Care needs in Louisiana shift with the landscape. A search for in-home help in New Orleans might center on the French Quarter, the Garden District, Lakeview near City Park, or Algiers Point on the West Bank. In Baton Rouge, families look at the Garden District, Mid-City, and Scotlandville. Shreveport's Highland, Broadmoor, and South Highlands neighborhoods sit on the Red River, far from the Gulf. Lafayette in Acadiana and Lake Charles in the southwest anchor the south of the state, and Alexandria serves Central Louisiana. Areas near the Atchafalaya Basin or Avery Island are far from the larger cities, so it is worth asking how far a caregiver is willing to travel.

• New Orleans: French Quarter, Garden District, Lakeview, Bywater, Algiers Point
• Baton Rouge: Garden District, Mid-City, Scotlandville
• Shreveport: Highland, Broadmoor, South Highlands, Pierremont, Cedar Grove

Regions

• Greater New Orleans: Low-lying land around Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River that is especially vulnerable to major hurricanes
• Acadiana: Southwestern Louisiana region settled by Acadians in the 1700s
• Florida Parishes: The parishes north and east of the Mississippi River, added to the state in 1812
• Central Louisiana: Part of the state's alluvial lowlands, with Alexandria as its best-known city
• North Louisiana: Higher hill country of prairie and woodland, home to Shreveport on the Red River

Familiar places

French Quarter (New Orleans); City Park (New Orleans); Lake Pontchartrain (Greater New Orleans); Louisiana State Capitol (Baton Rouge); Atchafalaya Basin (south-central Louisiana); Avery Island (Iberia Parish); Driskill Mountain, the state's highest point (north Louisiana).

Planning care around Louisiana's seasons and geography

June through September is the stretch to plan around in southern Louisiana, when daytime highs average 90 degrees or more and nights stay above 70. Ask any agency how caregivers handle long, hot visits and what happens if the power goes out. Hurricane season raises a second set of questions. Louisiana is highly exposed to major storms, and Hurricane Gustav in 2008 was the worst to strike the Baton Rouge area. Decide ahead of time who will contact the caregiver, whether the older adult will evacuate, and how visits resume afterward. In North Louisiana, a winter ice or sleet storm can make roads hard for a caregiver to travel.

• In southern Louisiana, summer highs from June to September average 90 degrees F or more with overnight lows above 70, and humidity can push the heat index above 120 (Wikipedia Louisiana climate summary).
• Louisiana is very vulnerable to major hurricanes, particularly the lowlands in and around New Orleans; Hurricane Gustav in 2008 was the worst hurricane to hit the Baton Rouge area.
• Louisiana averages more than 60 thunderstorm days a year, more than any state except Florida.
• Winters are mild in the south, but northern Louisiana sees lows near 20 degrees F on occasion and ice and sleet storms are possible around Shreveport.

Louisiana resources for families

• Licensing. Louisiana requires a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider license from the Department of Health, and personal care attendant (PCA) services are one of the licensed service modules; some modules need Facility Need Review approval before licensure. Confirm current requirements with the state before you hire. Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section
• Aging services. GOEA oversees a network of 64 Parish Councils on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging; contact GOEA or the council for the parish where the older adult lives to be routed to local services. Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA)
• Help paying. Louisiana's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Community Choices Waiver. Eligibility is based on income and care needs.