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

Aging at home in Illinois

Illinois sits almost exactly at the national average, with 17.9 percent of residents 65 or older in 2024 against 18.0 percent for the country. Roughly three out of four Illinoisans live in the Chicago area, so older adults in Lincoln Park, Rogers Park or Hyde Park live a very different daily life from those in Peoria, Rockford or Carbondale. The state runs from the lakefront at Navy Pier to the hills around Shawnee National Forest. Most families here begin by looking for help with transportation, housekeeping, meals and company, and the state licenses agencies that offer this kind of non-medical help.

17.9% of Illinois 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

Start in Chicago, where Lincoln Park, Lake View, Logan Square, Hyde Park and Rogers Park each have their own housing and transit patterns. West of the city, Aurora is split by the Fox River into West Side and East Side. Rockford is known for Anderson Japanese Gardens and the Rock River, Peoria sits on the Illinois River, and Springfield, the capital, is built around Lincoln Home National Historic Site and Lake Springfield. Farther south, Carbondale lies near Giant City State Park and Crab Orchard Lake, in the hills of Little Egypt. Distance to services is the main difference between these places.

• Chicago: Lincoln Park, Lake View, Hyde Park, Logan Square, Rogers Park
• Aurora: West Side, East Side, Near Eastside, Stolp Island
• Springfield: Downtown, Harvard Park, Old Aristocracy Hill, Enos Park, Westchester

Regions

• Chicagoland: Chicago metropolitan area, home to about 75 percent of the state's residents
• Central Illinois: Includes Springfield, the state capital, and Peoria on the Illinois River
• Southern Illinois (Little Egypt): Hilly area around Shawnee National Forest; Carbondale is on its northern edge
• Driftless Area: Unglaciated, higher and more rugged terrain in the northwest

Familiar places

Willis Tower, Chicago; Navy Pier, Chicago; Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield; Cahokia Mounds, near Collinsville; Starved Rock State Park; Anderson Japanese Gardens, Rockford; Giant City State Park, near Carbondale.

Planning care around Illinois's seasons and geography

Illinois weather can turn quickly. The state is among the most tornado-active in the country, with 136 tornadoes in 2023, so families should agree on a shelter plan and a way for a caregiver to reach them during a warning. Water matters too: Rockford's near east side flooded from Keith Creek in 2006 and 2007. Outside metro Chicago, long rural drives are normal, especially in the southern hills. Ask how scheduling works during severe storms, who can cover a visit, and how backup contacts are reached.

• About 75 percent of Illinois residents live in the Chicago area, so caregiver supply is concentrated there and thins out in rural central and southern counties.
• Illinois is among the most tornado-active states; it recorded 136 tornadoes in 2023, the most of any state that year.
• Southern Illinois is hilly around Shawnee National Forest, and Carbondale is about 96 miles southeast of St. Louis.
• Rockford's Keith Creek flooded near-east-side neighborhoods in 2006 and 2007, and Springfield's Lake Springfield draws about 600,000 visitors a year, so local geography shapes everyday errands and travel.

Illinois resources for families

• Licensing. Illinois licenses non-medical home care as a Home Services Agency under the Home Health, Home Services, and Home Nursing Agency Licensing Act (210 ILCS 55), which covers help with activities of daily living and cannot include services reserved to home health or home nursing agencies. Confirm current requirements with the state before you hire. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
• Aging services. Call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (711 TRS) or use the Service Locator and the 'Area Agencies on Aging' page on the Department's website. Illinois Department on Aging
• Help paying. Illinois's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Medicaid HCBS Waiver for Persons Who Are Elderly, operated with the Community Care Program. Eligibility is based on income and care needs.