Home Care in Connecticut: Licensed In-Home Care Agencies by City

Aging at home in Connecticut

Nearly one in five Connecticut residents, 19.5 percent or about 714,000 people, was 65 or older in 2024. The state is compact but varied, running from the Gold Coast of Fairfield County, where Stamford and Norwalk are part of the New York metropolitan area, through Hartford and the Connecticut River valley, to the Quiet Corner in the northeast and the shoreline around Mystic and New London in the southeast. Hartford, the capital, sits on the Connecticut River, which empties into Long Island Sound between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme. Four of the state's seven largest cities are in the southwest.

19.5% of Connecticut 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

Bridgeport's Black Rock and the Hollow, Stamford's Shippan, Glenbrook and Springdale, and New Haven's East Rock, Wooster Square and Westville are all residential areas where families look for in-home help, with Yale in New Haven. Hartford is home to the Mark Twain House, and Waterbury, Danbury and Norwalk fill out the list of larger cities. Along Long Island Sound, Hammonasset Beach in Madison and Sherwood Island in Westport are major shoreline parks, and Gillette Castle overlooks the Connecticut River at East Haddam. Mystic and New London anchor the southeast, while the Litchfield Hills and the Quiet Corner hold the smaller towns of the northwest and northeast.

• Bridgeport: Black Rock, The Hollow, Little Italy, Downtown Bridgeport
• Stamford: Shippan, Glenbrook, Springdale, North Stamford, The Cove
• New Haven: East Rock, Wooster Square, Westville, Fair Haven, Dixwell

Regions

• Fairfield County: southwestern Gold Coast county, the most populous in the state, in the New York metro area
• Litchfield Hills: geographic region in the northwestern corner of the state
• Quiet Corner: historic region in the northeastern corner, named in 1985
• Connecticut River Valley: the Connecticut River roughly bisects the state; Hartford anchors the Knowledge Corridor of colleges and boarding schools
• New London County and the Southeastern Shore: Thames River seaport of New London, plus Norwich and Mystic

Familiar places

Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic; Mark Twain House, Hartford; Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam; Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison; Sherwood Island State Park, Westport; Lake Compounce, Bristol and Southington; Yale University, New Haven.

Planning care around Connecticut's seasons and geography

New England weather tests any home care plan. Snow averages about 60 inches a year in the northern highlands but only 20 to 25 inches along the southeast coast, so a winter morning can look very different in the hills than in Groton. The 2011 Halloween nor'easter left some areas without power for 11 days because snow-laden trees damaged lines, and Hurricanes Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012 brought storm surge to the shore. Summers are hot and humid, with occasional heat waves of 90 to 100 degrees. Families should ask how a caregiver will reach a home during snow and power outages.

• Snowfall averages about 60 inches a year in the higher elevations of the north and only 20 to 25 inches along the southeast coast.
• The 2011 Halloween nor'easter dropped heavy snow on trees, damaging power lines and leaving some areas without electricity for 11 days.
• Hurricane Irene (2011) and Hurricane Sandy (2012) brought storm surge to the shoreline, and the 1938 New England hurricane devastated the coast.
• Summers are hot and humid, with occasional heat waves of 90 to 100 degrees across the state.

Connecticut resources for families

• Licensing. Connecticut requires homemaker-companion agencies to hold a Homemaker Companion Agency (HCA) Registration from the Department of Consumer Protection (a registration rather than a license), with a surety bond or insurance of at least $10,000, background checks on employees, and renewal each October 31. Confirm current requirements with the state before you hire. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
• Aging services. Connecticut has five Area Agencies on Aging; the state site lists them by town, or use the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116). Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services, State Unit on Aging
• Help paying. Connecticut's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE). Eligibility is based on income and care needs.