About CarePath

Independent, free planning tools for family caregivers · Last reviewed June 2026

Every year, tens of millions of Americans find themselves suddenly responsible for an aging parent — usually with no warning, no manual, and no idea what anything costs. The information that exists is scattered across government PDFs, sales-driven directories, and forums full of conflicting advice. CarePath exists to make one part of that easier: understanding the costs and the help that may be available, in plain language, with no sales pressure.

What CarePath is — and what it isn't

CarePath is an independent educational resource. We publish a cost calculator, a 50-state cost overview, an independence assessment, and in-depth guides to help families plan.

• We are not a care provider, facility, agency, insurer, or government body.
• We do not sell your data, run a referral-for-commission directory, or accept payment to rank or recommend any provider.
• We are not a substitute for professional legal, financial, medical, or benefits advice — our tools are a starting point for those conversations, not a replacement.

Who's behind CarePath

CarePath was founded by an independent researcher and entrepreneur who kept running into the same problem: elder care information in the U.S. is scattered across government PDFs, sales-driven referral directories, and forums full of conflicting advice — with no single, honest place to start. CarePath is a recent initiative built to change that: bringing together the cost data, benefit rules, and quality records that already exist in scattered official sources, and presenting them in one place, in plain language, with no sales agenda attached.

We're early, and we say so rather than pretend otherwise. What we won't compromise on, from day one, is the independence policy above — no facility ever pays us to rank higher, and no visitor is ever added to a call list without asking for one.

How our cost estimates are built

The figures in our calculator are planning estimates, not quotes. Here's exactly how we produce them, so you can judge them for yourself:

• We start from published 2025 national median rates for each care type — in-home care, adult day services, assisted living, memory care, nursing home, and hospice — drawing on widely-cited national cost-of-care research such as the CareScout (formerly Genworth) Cost of Care Survey.
• We adjust those medians by state using relative cost differences, so the estimate for your state reflects local market reality rather than a single national number.
• Coverage ranges (what Medicaid, Medicare, or VA benefits may offset) are based on how these programs generally work — but actual eligibility always depends on income, assets, and your state's specific rules.

Because real prices vary by provider, region within a state, and level of care, every estimate points you toward getting real local quotes and checking program eligibility. We review our rate data and program information periodically and label the date on each page.

Where our information comes from

Our guides cite and link to primary, authoritative sources so you can verify everything yourself, including:

• The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL)
• Medicare.gov and Medicaid.gov, plus state Medicaid agencies
• The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) and Area Agencies on Aging
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits information

We summarize and explain these sources in plain language; we never copy them, and we always point you to the original for the authoritative detail.

What we believe

• Planning tools should be free. The calculator, assessment, and guides require no sign-up and always will.
• Estimates should be honest. We show our methodology, label figures as estimates, and explain what they depend on — even when that's less tidy than a single confident number.
• Caregivers deserve respect, not sales pressure. Our independence is the whole point.

Corrections & contact

If you spot something that looks wrong or out of date, please tell us — accuracy matters more to us than looking polished, and reader corrections genuinely improve the site. Reach us any time at our contact page or hello@carepathplan.com.