Home Care Montgomery | What Makes Families Choose Us?

If you are caring for a parent or spouse in Montgomery County, you may be wondering if it is time for outside help. Here is the short answer: home care can mean a few hours of company each week, or it can mean daily personal care paid for through Maryland Medicaid. Cottage Home Care Maryland LLC serves Montgomery County with non-medical home care and CNA staffing. We also help families figure out which Medicaid program fits their case, if any.

Key Overview

• Local, licensed coverage: Cottage Home Care Maryland LLC serves Montgomery County and all 24 Maryland counties with non-medical home care and CNA staffing.
• Two Medicaid pathways: Community First Choice has no waitlist, while the Community Options Waiver covers more services but runs through a state priority list.
• Family caregiver option: Community First Choice may let an eligible family member or friend become a paid, agency-employed caregiver.
• Private pay starts fast: families who skip Medicaid can begin care without a lengthy application, generally for $40 to $48 an hour.
• Non-medical scope: Cottage is licensed as a residential service agency, not a home health or nursing agency, in Maryland.

Quick Facts

Why Home Care Matters for Montgomery County Families

Many Montgomery County families are raising kids and caring for an aging parent at the same time. That gets harder once a parent needs help with bathing, meals, or getting to the doctor. Home care fills that gap. It lets someone stay in their own home while getting real, hands-on help. That way, they are not moving to a facility before they truly need to.

Local matters here too. A Montgomery County caregiver knows the county's hospitals, senior centers, and Aging and Disability office. They can work with your family's existing doctors and routines instead of starting from scratch.

About Cottage Home Care in Maryland

Cottage Home Care Maryland LLC is part of the Cottage Home Care network, which has provided non-medical home care since 2019. The Maryland office serves all 24 counties, including Montgomery. We are licensed as a residential service agency by the Maryland Department of Health, Office of Health Care Quality. Our RSA License number is 02496.

That license covers non-medical personal care and homemaker services. It does not cover nursing, therapy, or hospice care. Cottage does not operate as a home health agency in Maryland.

Two Ways to Get Medicaid-Funded Home Care in Maryland

Community First Choice

Community First Choice is open to Marylanders age 18 and up. They must need help with daily activities and meet a nursing-facility level of care. It has no waitlist, since it runs through regular Medicaid rather than a limited-slot waiver. A family member or friend can become the paid caregiver under this program, sometimes called the Friend and Family option. The caregiver must pass a state background check and become an employee of a licensed agency like Cottage. The participant's legal guardian cannot be the paid caregiver.

Community Options Waiver

The Community Options Waiver serves people age 65 and older, and adults 18 and up with a qualifying physical disability. It covers a wider range of services, including assisted living support, respite care, and home-delivered meals. Unlike Community First Choice, it runs through a state priority list. How soon someone is reached depends on the Maryland Department of Health's own review of their case. The Department of Health decides who qualifies for either program, not Cottage or any other agency.

Community First Choice vs. Community Options Waiver

Who decides eligibility for both programs: the Maryland Department of Health, after its own assessment. Montgomery County families can also reach Maryland Access Point at 1-844-627-5465 for help figuring out where to start.

What a Cottage Caregiver Can Help With

A Cottage caregiver in Montgomery County can help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and getting around the house safely. They can cook meals and handle light housekeeping tied to the person's own space. They can also give medication reminders, meaning they can hand someone their pillbox and a glass of water at the right time. They cannot manage or give medication themselves. Caregivers can drive clients to appointments too, and they can simply sit and talk. That kind of company matters more than people expect once someone is mostly home.

Paying for Home Care: Medicaid, Private Pay, and Insurance Questions

Families who skip Medicaid can start private pay care right away, with no long application. Private pay rates in Maryland generally run $40 to $48 an hour, depending on the county and the level of care needed. If you carry long-term care insurance, Cottage can help you understand what it covers. The insurance company makes the final call on coverage, not us. Care comes at no cost to families who qualify for Community First Choice or the Community Options Waiver. That depends on meeting the state's Medicaid and level-of-care rules.

Real Families, Real Experiences

Want to hear from real families instead of reading quotes on a page? Cottage's video testimonials and press coverage feature actual clients and caregivers. They talk about their own experience in their own words. That says more than any paragraph can.

How to Start Care With Cottage Home Care Maryland

1. Call (667) 400-0648 or fill out the online form at our Maryland contact page for a free consultation.
2. Tell us about the health condition, living situation, and how you plan to pay: Community First Choice, the Community Options Waiver, or private pay.
3. If Medicaid is involved, the state's assessment team sets up a visit or video call to confirm eligibility and hours.
4. Cottage matches a caregiver to the case and sets a start date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cottage Home Care provide nursing or medical care in Montgomery County?

No. Cottage Home Care Maryland LLC is licensed as a residential service agency, which covers non-medical personal care and homemaker services. Caregivers can give medication reminders, but they cannot give medication or provide skilled nursing care.

How do I find out if my family qualifies for Community First Choice or the Community Options Waiver?

The Maryland Department of Health decides eligibility after its own review, not Cottage. We can help you start the process and explain what documents you will likely need. Maryland Access Point is also a good place to start for Montgomery County families, at 1-844-627-5465.

Can I get paid to take care of my mom or dad?

Community First Choice may let an eligible family member or friend become a paid caregiver. That person becomes an employee of a licensed agency like Cottage. One exception: the participant's legal guardian cannot be the paid caregiver.

How much does private pay home care cost in Montgomery County?

Rates usually fall between $40 and $48 an hour in Maryland, depending on your location and the level of care needed. Private pay has no long application process.

How fast can care start?

Private pay care can often begin within days. Medicaid-funded care depends on the state's assessment. For the Community Options Waiver, it also depends on the state's priority list. Timing varies from case to case.

What counties does Cottage Home Care Maryland serve?

All 24 Maryland counties, including Montgomery, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Howard, Frederick, and both Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

Is Medicaid home care really free?

It comes at no cost to families who qualify for full Medicaid coverage under Community First Choice or the Community Options Waiver. The state decides who qualifies, not Cottage.

Cottage Home Care Maryland LLC is licensed as a residential service agency by the Maryland Department of Health, Office of Health Care Quality. RSA License #02496.