LoLo Care, a home care marketplace and coordination platform serving North Carolina's Triangle Region, has launched its Care Assistance Program, offering non-medical home care at $23 per hour to approved applicants facing limited incomes or financial hardship. The program lowers LoLo Care's own fee and is supported by participating local caregivers, making it a notable effort to bridge the affordability gap in a sector where costs can quickly become prohibitive.
The timing is significant. According to CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the median cost for a non-medical caregiver in North Carolina is $30 per hour, which totals $15,600 annually for just 10 hours of weekly care. For individuals on fixed incomes, even minimal assistance can strain household budgets. LoLo Care's program directly addresses this challenge by reducing the hourly rate by nearly a quarter, ensuring that families can access help with daily tasks without facing financial stress. The full CareScout data is available via Morningstar and the CareScout cost of care page.
"Many of the families we hear from need a few hours of help with meals or company, and the hourly price is what holds them back," said Charles Petrini-Poli, Co-Founder and CEO of LoLo Care. "We reduced our fee for this program so more people in our community can get that help at home." The program covers services such as companionship, meal preparation, daily routines assistance, errands, rides, light housekeeping, and family caregiver support. At the program rate, a two-hour visit costs $46, a meaningful savings compared to the standard $60.
The application process is designed to be straightforward. Families can apply effortlessly without needing a LoLo Care account, and there is no obligation to book care immediately. Each application is reviewed by a dedicated team member, typically within five business days. If approved, the team explains next steps and confirms arrangements before booking, though approval does not reserve a caregiver or guarantee a booking; care still depends on caregiver availability. The program is currently available to approved applicants in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, and LoLo Care notes that it is only available to families in North Carolina at this time.
Caregivers who participate receive a Community Care Partner badge on their LoLo Care profile, recognizing their role in making care more affordable locally. "The caregivers who take part are choosing to give some of their time back to the community they live in," said Thibaud Peverelli, Co-Founder & CTO. The badge is not a safety certification but reflects community involvement.
For readers in the Triangle Region, the program offers a tangible way to reduce the cost of in-home care, which can be a lifeline for older adults and their families. It also signals a growing trend among care platforms to experiment with tiered pricing and community-supported models to reach lower-income households. As demand for aging-in-place solutions rises, such initiatives could influence how other providers structure their fees. More information is available at LoLo Care.
