SCHome Care Lookup

Home Care Agencies in Richland County, SC

Richland County has 222 in-home care providers and 8 home health agencies with a licensed office in the county, based on SC DPH license records retrieved Sept. 27, 2026. Use the city links for Columbia, Irmo and Blythewood to narrow the list, then confirm the license and service area.

Agencies are listed alphabetically from public license records. The office county is the address on the license, not necessarily the service area.

The office county is the address on the license. It is not necessarily the service area.

Cities

Agencies

Medicaid waiver (CLTC Group) data covers all 46 South Carolina counties. About the waiver data.

How to choose a home care agency in Richland County

How to narrow this list

This is a long list. Use the city links, the search box and the license-type filter to narrow it: Columbia (215), Irmo (10), Blythewood (3), Eastover (1) and Hopkins (1). The city is the office address on the license, not the service area.

In-home care vs. home health: what's the difference

An in-home care provider gives non-medical help. SC DPH's licensing rule defines in-home care as help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating and getting in and out of bed, "not including skilled care." A home health agency provides skilled care, including part-time or intermittent nursing ordered by a physician or other authorized provider. Medicare covers home health only for people who are homebound and need part-time or intermittent skilled care; it does not cover "24-hour-a-day care at your home" or custodial care "when this is the only care you need." Sources: SC DPH Regulation 60-122; SC DPH Regulation 61-77; Medicare: Home health services.

A neutral checklist

  • License: confirm it on SC DPH's Find a Facility map, which lists DPH-licensed in-home care providers and home health agencies. (SC DPH was formerly part of DHEC.)
  • Service area: the office county on a license is not necessarily the service area. Ask whether the agency serves your address.
  • Services and minimum hours per visit or per week.
  • Caregivers: how they are screened, trained and supervised.
  • Backup: what happens if a caregiver is out.
  • Paperwork: a written care plan and a written service agreement.
  • Payment: which payers the agency accepts (Medicaid waiver, VA, long-term care insurance, Medicare for home health, private pay).
  • Complaints: how they are handled, and who to contact.
  • Home health only: Medicare's Care Compare shows quality data where available; star ratings in this directory come only from CMS Care Compare (see About and data sources).

Questions to ask on the first call

Do you serve my address? What services do you provide, and what is your minimum number of hours? Who supervises caregivers? What happens if my caregiver can't come? Which payers do you accept, and will you give me your rates in writing? How do I raise a concern?

Paying for home care in South Carolina

Medicaid: home and community-based waivers

SCDHHS's Community Long Term Care (CLTC) division runs Medicaid waivers for people who are eligible for nursing home care but prefer services at home: Community Choices, HIV/AIDS, Mechanical Ventilator Dependent and Medically Complex Children. SCDHHS says the Community Choices waiver serves "the frail elderly (age 65 and older) as well as persons with physical disabilities (ages 18-64) who meet nursing facility level of care criteria." SCDHHS decides both parts of eligibility: whether the person needs nursing-facility level of care (a CLTC determination) and whether they are financially eligible for Medicaid. Ask any agency you're considering whether it is enrolled with SCDHHS to provide waiver services. Start with Centralized Intake at (888) 971-1637 or your county's CLTC office (below). Sources: SCDHHS Waivers; Community Choices waiver; CLTC office addresses.

The directory's "Medicaid waiver" filter marks only licenses that uniquely match an SCDHHS CLTC Group record, so an agency without the flag may still take part (see About: Medicaid waiver coverage).

VA benefits

The VA's Homemaker and Home Health Aide program is for Veterans who need personal care and help with daily activities. The VA says "all enrolled Veterans are eligible" if they are eligible for community care, meet the clinical criteria and the service is available. A copay may apply. The aides work for organizations that contract with the VA. Separately, VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits "provide monthly payments added to the amount of a monthly VA pension" for qualified Veterans and survivors. For help applying, find your county Veterans Affairs office through the SC Department of Veterans' Affairs. Sources: VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care; VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound; SC Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Long-term care insurance

The SC Department of Insurance says long-term care services "may include help with daily activities, home health care, respite care" and other care. Before buying a policy, it advises comparing "benefits, the types of facilities covered, limits on your coverage, what is not covered, and the premium." If you already have a policy, ask the insurer what it requires of a home care agency (for example, a state license) before you hire one. Source: SC Department of Insurance: Long-Term Care Insurance.

Private pay

Rates vary by agency, hours and level of care. Ask several agencies for written quotes for the same schedule.

Medicare

Medicare covers part-time or intermittent skilled home health care for people who are homebound. It doesn't cover 24-hour care at home or custodial care when that is the only care needed. Source: Medicare: Home health services.

Official resources for Richland County

  • Area Agency on Aging: Central Midlands Area Agency on Aging (Region IV), serving Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry and Richland counties. Phone 803-376-5390. Sources: GetCareSC Area Agencies on Aging; SC Department on Aging Staff and Partners / Regional Plans.
  • SCDHHS Community Long Term Care office: Area 5 – Columbia, 300 Arbor Lake Dr., Suite 900, Columbia, SC 29223. Telephone (803) 764-8319. Counties: Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland. Source: SCDHHS CLTC Addresses.
  • VA: the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, part of VA Columbia South Carolina health care (va.gov).
  • County Veterans Affairs office: listed through the SC Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Neighboring county hubs: Lexington County, Fairfield County and Kershaw County.

Counts come from SC DPH license records retrieved Sept. 27, 2026; see About and data sources. Listings are public license records, not endorsements.

Frequently asked questions — Richland County

How do I find a home care agency in Richland County or Columbia, SC?

This directory lists 222 in-home care providers and 8 home health agencies with a licensed office in Richland County, from SC DPH license records retrieved Sept. 27, 2026. Most listed offices are in Columbia. Confirm the license on SC DPH's Find a Facility map and ask whether the agency serves your address.

How do I narrow agencies by city (Columbia, Irmo, Blythewood)?

Use the city links at the top of the list: Columbia (215), Irmo (10), Blythewood (3), Eastover (1) and Hopkins (1). The city is the office address on the license, not the service area.

What's the difference between in-home care and home health in Richland County?

An in-home care provider gives non-medical help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating and getting in and out of bed, not including skilled care. A home health agency provides skilled care, including part-time or intermittent nursing ordered by a physician or other authorized provider.

How can I pay for home care in Richland County?

Common options are Medicaid home and community-based waivers through SCDHHS (Columbia office (803) 764-8319 or Centralized Intake (888) 971-1637), VA benefits for eligible Veterans, long-term care insurance, Medicare for skilled home health only, and private pay. Ask each agency which payers it accepts.

What official help is available for Richland County seniors?

The Central Midlands Area Agency on Aging serves Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry and Richland counties (803-376-5390). The SC Department on Aging's GetCareSC site (GetCare.SC.gov) lists local resources. Veterans can contact VA about home care; the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center is on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia.