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

Aging at home in Arizona

Arizona is a state that people retire to, and the numbers show it: 19.7 percent of residents were 65 or older in 2024, about 1.49 million people. Sun City, opened by developer Del Webb in 1960, was one of the first age-restricted retirement communities in the country, and Green Valley south of Tucson was designed as a retirement subdivision for the state's teachers. Every winter the state also fills with snowbirds from the U.S. and Canada who stay only for the cooler months. That seasonal swing affects how many people are in Arizona and when they look for help at home.

19.7% of Arizona residents are 65 or older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024 state age and sex estimates (July 1, 2024), share of residents age 65 and over.

Cities, towns and neighborhoods we cover

In the Phoenix area, older adults live in places as different as Arcadia and the Biltmore Area in Phoenix, Dobson Ranch in Mesa, and the Sun City communities. Tucson has historic neighborhoods such as Armory Park and Sam Hughes, plus the Catalina Foothills, with Saguaro National Park on the west side. Flagstaff, at nearly 7,000 feet, and Prescott, a pine-forest town about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix, are the high-country options, while Yuma in the southwest corner is one of the hottest cities in the country. Lake Havasu City, known for London Bridge, sits on the Colorado River in Mohave County. Care needs differ with elevation, heat and distance between towns.

• Phoenix: Arcadia, Biltmore Area, Sunnyslope, Ahwatukee, Moon Valley
• Tucson: Sam Hughes, Armory Park, Barrio Viejo, Catalina Foothills
• Mesa: Downtown Mesa, East Mesa, Dobson Ranch, Red Mountain

Regions

• Maricopa County: the most populous county, containing Phoenix, Mesa and the Sun City area
• Pima County: Tucson and the Sonoran Desert, with Saguaro National Park
• Coconino County: northern Arizona on the Colorado Plateau, including Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon
• Yavapai County: cooler pine-forest country around Prescott
• Yuma County: southwest corner along the California and Mexico borders, one of the hottest areas in the U.S.

Familiar places

Grand Canyon National Park, northern Arizona; Saguaro National Park, Tucson; Camelback Mountain, Phoenix; Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix; Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson; London Bridge, Lake Havasu City; Meteor Crater, near Flagstaff and Winslow.

Planning care around Arizona's seasons and geography

Summer is the main planning season in Arizona. Desert temperatures run from 90 to 120 degrees from June through September, and the monsoon brings thunderstorms and flash floods toward the end of summer, with humid spells in July and August. Early-morning scheduling is one way families work around peak heat. Winter is the busy visitor season, and northern Arizona is a different world: Flagstaff gets significant snow, so a routine that works in Phoenix may not work in the pines. Families with parents who split the year between Arizona and another state should also plan for the months when they are gone.

• Desert summers run from about 90 to 120 degrees from June through September, with occasional readings above 125 degrees.
• A summer monsoon brings thunderstorms and flash floods toward the end of summer, and dewpoints can climb sharply in July and August.
• Flagstaff and northern Arizona sit at higher elevation with significant winter snowfall and much cooler summers.
• Many snowbirds from across the U.S. and Canada spend the winter months in Arizona, so the population and demand for services shift with the season.

Arizona resources for families

• Licensing. The Arizona Department of Health Services says a home care agency that offers only chore, companion, household maintenance and housekeeping services, typically private pay, does not need a state health care institution license, while a home health agency does. If an agency provides personal care, ask which license it holds and confirm it with ADHS.
• Aging services. DES contracts with regional Area Agencies on Aging; the page lists them by region, or use the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116). Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Aging and Adult Services
• Help paying. Arizona's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS), run by AHCCCS, Arizona's Medicaid agency. Eligibility is based on income and care needs.