Help your loved one age safely and comfortably at home on the Kona and Kohala side with dignified support. Compare verified Hawaiʻi Island hourly home care costs ($41/hr state median), understand Hawaii Department of Health (`HRS § 321-14.8`) licensing standards, and check availability with state-licensed Home Care Agencies serving Kailua-Kona, Keauhou, Holualoa, Captain Cook, Waikōloa Village, and Waimea (Kamuela).
-HCA or HHA- licenses under HRS § 321-14.8 with TB-cleared, background-checked caregivers.-HCA agencies provide the official care documentation required by Long-Term Care Insurance and VA Aid & Attendance.-HCA) under HRS § 321-14.8 / HAR Title 11, Chapter 700 and Home Health Agencies (HHA-).
Complete this non-medical form to get matched with a Hawaii DOH-licensed home care agency serving Kailua-Kona, South Kona, Waikōloa, or Waimea.
Tell us your West Hawaiʻi town or ZIP code (Kailua-Kona, South Kona, Waikōloa, or Waimea), preferred schedule, and daily tasks needed.
Get matched with vetted Hawaii DOH state-licensed Home Care Agencies (`-HCA`) that actively dispatch caregivers on the Kona and Kohala coast.
Review transparent hourly rates ($37–$41/hr Hawaii median), verify LTC insurance or VA benefits, and begin care on your schedule.
With 26.0% of Hawaiʻi County’s 210,043 residents aged 65 and older (~54,611 seniors islandwide) and West Hawaiʻi retirement communities growing rapidly from Keauhou to Waikōloa and Waimea, families rely on state-licensed Home Care Agencies (`-HCA`) to keep aging parents safe at home.
Dignified assistance with bathing, showering, dressing, grooming, restroom routines, safe bed-to-chair transfers, and nutritious island meal preparation.
Friendly conversation, lanai walks, Kona grocery errands, accompanied rides to Kealakekua or Waimea clinics, and scheduled relief for working family caregivers.
Calm, familiar routines in your loved one’s own home, wandering prevention, sundowning reassurance, and overnight or 24-hour multi-shift care.
Under Hawaii Administrative Rules HAR Title 11, Chapter 700, licensed Home Care Agencies provide hands-on assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, feeding, ambulation, and fall-prevention mobility support.
Ideal for kūpuna living in Kailua-Kona, Keauhou, Waikōloa, or Waimea whose adult children work full-time or live on the mainland. Includes meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, linen changes, Kona Community Hospital / clinic appointment transportation, and pharmacy pickups.
Multi-generational caregiving is a cherished Hawaiʻi Island tradition, but family caregivers need time to work, rest, and care for keiki. Flexible respite shifts (from 12 hours/week to weekend or mainland-travel coverage) prevent caregiver burnout.
Moving a senior with Alzheimer’s or memory loss out of their longtime Kona & West Hawaiʻi home can increase confusion. In-home memory support keeps surroundings familiar while providing structured redirection, safety monitoring, and daily engagement.
Transitioning home to Kailua-Kona, Holualoa, Captain Cook, Waikōloa, or Waimea after a stay at Kona Community Hospital (Kealakekua) or Queen’s North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital (Waimea) requires reliable household help, fall prevention, and meal/hydration reminders.
For seniors who wake frequently at night, are at high risk of falls getting to the bathroom, or have adult children living on Oʻahu or the mainland, licensed Kona & West Hawaiʻi agencies coordinate awake overnight shifts or 24/7 rotating caregiver teams.
Verified benchmarks from the CareScout / Genworth Cost of Care Survey and Hawaiʻi County agency data show why keeping kūpuna at home in Kona & West Hawaiʻi is far more cost-effective than facility care.
| Kona & West Hawaiʻi Care Option & Weekly Schedule | Verified Hourly / Monthly Median | Annualized Cost | When Kona & West Hawaiʻi Families Choose This Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-Time Companion / Respite Care (16 hrs/week) | $37–$41/hr • ~$2,840/mo | ~$34,080/yr | 4-hour shifts, 4 days/week for meal prep, bathing help, light housekeeping, grocery errands, and relief for working ʻohana. Saves ~$9,250/mo vs. Hawaii assisted living. |
| Half-Time Daily Personal Care (20 hrs/week) | $37–$41/hr • ~$3,550/mo | ~$42,600/yr | Weekday morning or afternoon routines (bathing, dressing, meals, mobility) while family members are working. |
| Standard Weekday Care (30 hrs/week) | $37–$41/hr • ~$5,330/mo | ~$63,960/yr | 6 hours/day, 5 days/week for kūpuna needing consistent daily ADL assistance, fall supervision, and clinic transportation. |
| Full-Time In-Home Care (44 hrs/week Benchmark) | $41/hr median • $7,817/mo | $93,804/yr | CareScout Hawaii full-time benchmark (Homemaker $7,627/mo; Home Health Aide $8,103/mo). Saves $4,279/mo ($51,348/yr) vs. Hawaii assisted living. |
| Hawaii Assisted Living Facility (1-Bedroom Median) | $12,096/mo (#1 Highest in U.S.) | $145,152/yr | Residential facility room & board in Hawaii (95% above the $6,200 U.S. national median), with limited bed availability on Hawaiʻi Island. |
| Hawaii Nursing Home (Semi-Private / Private Room) | $15,473 – $16,395/mo | $185,676 – $196,740/yr | Institutional 24-hour skilled nursing facility care for complex clinical needs that cannot be managed at home. |
In Hawaii, operating a Home Care Agency without a state license is unlawful under HRS § 321-14.8 and HAR Title 11, Chapter 700. Before hiring anyone to care for an aging parent in Kona & West Hawaiʻi, understand the difference between state-licensed agencies and unlicensed registries.
The Hawaii Department of Health — Office of Health Care Assurance (OHCA) inspects and licenses Home Care Agencies serving Hawaiʻi Island (including West Hawaiʻi operators based in Kealakekua/Kona and Kamuela/Waimea as well as islandwide agencies). State-licensed agencies (carrying a license number ending in -HCA) must maintain:
Hawaii law distinguishes between two types of in-home licenses overseen by OHCA:
-HCA under HRS § 321-14.8 & HAR Chapter 11-700): Provide non-medical personal care (bathing, dressing, hygiene, mobility, continence), homemaker services (meal prep, housekeeping, shopping), companionship, and family respite care. Paid primarily via private pay, Long-Term Care Insurance, VA Aid & Attendance, or Hawaii County Kupuna Care.HHA- under HAR Chapter 11-97.1): Provide doctor-ordered intermittent clinical care such as skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and wound care after a stay at Kona Community Hospital and Queen’s North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital.When a partner agency contacts you after submitting our form, ask for their Hawaii DOH OHCA License Number (for example, ###-HCA or HHA-##). Only about 20 agencies hold active state licenses to serve Hawaiʻi Island—including dedicated West Hawaiʻi offices in Kealakekua (96750) and Waimea/Kamuela (96743)—so verifying their OHCA license protects your family and ensures Long-Term Care Insurance and VA Aid & Attendance claims are accepted.
Because Māmalahoa Highway (Highway 11 / 190) and Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway distances between South Kona, Kailua-Kona, Waikōloa, and Waimea are vast, we match your inquiry with licensed agencies that staff caregivers living on the West side.
View complete Kona & West Hawaiʻi district & ZIP code coverage guide →
According to the CareScout / Genworth Cost of Care Survey and Hawaiʻi County agency data, non-medical in-home care in Hawaii averages $37 to $41+ per hour ($41/hr state median). Part-time companion or personal care (16–20 hours/week) typically costs $2,840 to $3,550 per month, while full-time 44-hour/week care averages $7,817 per month—saving West Hawaiʻi families $4,200 to $8,500+ per month compared to Hawaii assisted living ($12,096/mo median) or nursing homes ($15,473–$16,395/mo).
Hawaiʻi Island is over 4,028 square miles—larger than all other Hawaiian Islands combined—and Hilo is 75 to 90+ minutes away across Saddle Road (Daniel K. Inouye Highway). Matching with a Hawaii DOH-licensed agency that actively staffs caregivers in Kailua-Kona (96740), South Kona / Kealakekua (96704/96750), Waikōloa (96738), and Waimea (96743) ensures reliable shift punctuality.
Yes. Most private Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance policies and the VA Aid & Attendance pension benefit (supported locally via the West Hawaiʻi VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Kailua-Kona) reimburse for non-medical personal care when delivered by a Hawaii DOH state-licensed Home Care Agency (-HCA).
No. KonaHomeCare.com is a free, independent consumer information and referral service in Hawaiʻi County, HI. We do not employ caregivers or provide medical or personal care services directly. We connect West Hawaiʻi families exclusively with Hawaii Department of Health OHCA state-licensed Home Care Agencies (-HCA) and Home Health Agencies (HHA-).