Home Care for Couples

After fifty years together, the worst outcome most couples can imagine is being separated because one of them needs more care than the other can give. Assisted living and memory care usually mean two rooms, two bills, or one spouse living alone in a house that suddenly feels enormous. REACH Home Care provides home care for couples throughout the Tri-Cities with a single caregiver who supports both spouses under one care plan, so they stay in their home, together.

We are a locally owned, Washington State-licensed in-home services agency (DOH license IHS.FS.61064639) based in Kennewick. Every caregiver completes the state's 75-hour Home Care Aide training at our own REACH Training Center, passes a Washington State background check, and is coached on both spouses' care plans before the first visit.

How care for couples works

Usually one spouse needs hands-on care, such as dementia, Parkinson's, or recovery after a hospital stay, and the other needs lighter support, or simply needs to stop being the full-time caregiver. One caregiver can handle both: personal care and transfers for the spouse who needs it, meals and medication reminders for both, and household help and companionship that the caregiving spouse has not had time for. Because it is one caregiver, one visit, and one bill, the cost is far closer to caring for one person than paying for two.

What home care for couples includes

• A shared care plan that lists each spouse's needs separately and how the caregiver's time is divided.

• Personal care and mobility help for whichever spouse needs it, from bathing and dressing to Hoyer lift transfers.

• Meals, medications, and housekeeping for the household, not per person.

• Respite for the caregiving spouse: time to see their own doctor, rest, or just be a husband or wife again instead of a nurse.

• Overnight and 24-hour options when one spouse's nighttime needs are keeping the other awake.

• Companionship for both, including outings and activities the couple can still enjoy together.

When needs are very different

If one spouse has advanced dementia and the other is fully independent, the plan focuses on the spouse who needs care while making sure the independent spouse gets breaks and is not doing the heavy lifting. If both spouses need significant hands-on care, we will tell you honestly whether one caregiver is enough or whether two are needed for safety.

Home care for couples across the Tri-Cities

Our office is at 4304 W 24th Ave, Suite 150 in Kennewick. We provide home care for couples in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, West Richland, Benton City, Finley, and Burbank, plus other Benton and Franklin County communities within about 25 miles.

How to get started

1. Call us at (509) 491-1733. Tell us about your loved one and what the days and nights look like right now.

2. Free in-home assessment. A care coordinator visits the home, talks with both spouses about what each one needs and wants, and writes a care plan with you.

3. Caregiver match. We assign trained caregivers whose skills and personalities fit, and introduce them in person.

4. Ongoing adjustments. Hours change as needs change. There is no long-term contract.

Care can often begin within a day or two. We accept private pay and long-term care insurance, and we bill many insurers directly.

Frequently asked questions

Is home care for a couple more expensive than for one person?

It is usually only modestly more than care for one person, because one caregiver serves both on the same visit. It is generally far less than two people in assisted living or memory care.

Can one caregiver really handle two people?

In most couples, yes. If both spouses need heavy hands-on care, we will recommend two caregivers for safety and say so during the assessment.

Can the healthier spouse still help with care?

Absolutely, and many want to. The plan is built around what the spouse wants to keep doing and what they want to hand off.

Does long-term care insurance cover care for a couple?

Each spouse's policy pays for that spouse's care. We document each person's care separately so both policies can be billed.

Can care scale up if one spouse declines?

Yes. Hours, overnight care, and 24-hour care can be added without changing agencies or caregivers.

What areas do you serve?

Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, West Richland, Benton City, Finley, Burbank, and surrounding communities within roughly 25 miles of the Tri-Cities.

Want to keep them together at home? Call (509) 491-1733 or request a free in-home assessment. REACH Home Care Incorporated is licensed by the Washington State Department of Health (In-Home Services Agency License IHS.FS.61064639, UBI 604-584-302).