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

Aging at home in Kansas

Kansas is close to the national average, with 17.8 percent of residents 65 or older in 2024 against 18.0 percent for the nation. The state's population is concentrated in the northeast, around Kansas City, Overland Park, Olathe, Topeka and Lawrence, and in south-central Wichita. Many small towns across the plains have lost residents, and a Kansas historian counts more than 6,000 ghost towns and dwindling communities. For older adults who stay in those places, help at home is often about practical things like meals, light housekeeping, rides and a regular visit from someone they know.

17.8% of Kansas residents are 65 or older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates (via CDC WONDER), 2024, as published by America's Health Rankings; national figure 18.0%.

Cities, towns and neighborhoods we cover

Kansas care needs depend on which Kansas you mean. In the Kansas City area, Overland Park has a historic downtown and Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead, and Kansas City, Kansas has Strawberry Hill, Argentine and Armourdale. Topeka is the capital, with the State Capitol, NOTO and College Hill, while Lawrence is a college town between the Kansas and Wakarusa rivers. Wichita has Old Town, Delano and Riverside along the Arkansas River. Farther west, Salina and Dodge City, home of Boot Hill Museum, are small cities on the High Plains where the next large town can be 150 miles away.

• Wichita: Old Town, Delano, College Hill, Riverside, Midtown
• Kansas City, Kansas: Strawberry Hill, Quindaro Bluffs, Argentine, Armourdale, Rosedale
• Topeka: NOTO (North Topeka Arts District), College Hill, Potwin Place, Westboro

Regions

• Kansas City metro: Bi-state area on the Kansas-Missouri line; the state's largest urban area
• Northeast Kansas: Over 1.5 million people across the Kansas City, Topeka, Lawrence and Manhattan areas
• Wichita area: Metro in the south-central part of the state
• High Plains (western Kansas): Semi-arid steppe averaging about 16 inches of precipitation a year

Familiar places

Kansas State Capitol, Topeka; Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, Topeka; Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita; Exploration Place, Wichita; Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City; Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, near Strong City; Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead, Overland Park.

Planning care around Kansas's seasons and geography

Wind, storms and heat define the Kansas calendar. The state averages more than 50 tornadoes a year, and severe storms can bring large hail and flash flooding, so families should keep a shelter plan and talk about what a caregiver does during a warning. Summer heat indices can be dangerous in places like Wichita, Salina and Hays. Winter brings little snow in the south and up to about 35 inches in the far northwest, and Dodge City is often cited as the windiest city in the country. Ask how an agency schedules visits across long rural distances and what happens on a stormy day.

• Kansas averages more than 50 tornadoes a year, and severe storms can bring large hail, flash flooding and damaging straight-line winds.
• Summer heat indices can be dangerous in Wichita, Hutchinson, Salina, Russell, Hays and Great Bend.
• Dodge City is about 151 miles west of Wichita and is often cited as the windiest city in the country, averaging 13.9 miles per hour, so western Kansas is both remote and wind-exposed.
• Snowfall ranges from about 5 inches a year in the south to about 35 inches in the far northwest.

Kansas resources for families

• Licensing. Kansas licenses non-medical care as 'Non-Medical Supportive Care Services,' a type of Home Health Agency licensure, covering chore and companionship services, help with activities of daily living and medication reminders. Confirm current requirements with the state before you hire. Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Bureau of Facilities and Licensing
• Aging services. Call the statewide Aging and Disability Resource Center at 855-200-2372, which routes callers to their local Area Agency on Aging; the line is staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS)
• Help paying. Kansas's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Frail Elderly (FE) HCBS waiver, through KanCare. Eligibility is based on income and care needs.