CareLinx Review: Finding Private Care Online
An alternative to home care agencies, CareLinx is a nationwide caregiving platform that offers affordable home care services to aging adults. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar agencies, CareLinx gives clients the chance to directly search, interview, and hire the right caregivers through their platform.
With only a 15 percent service fee, you can save on in-home care services using CareLinx’s tech-geared platform. If you’re looking for affordable home care, then you just might find it through CareLinx.
FYI: To learn more about all things related to home care, check out our home care guide.
Pros and Cons of CareLinx
Pros
- Rigorous caregiver screening process: At CareLinx, all caregivers undergo a thorough background check as well as behavioral interviews and training. You’re technically hiring them yourself, but CareLinx takes some of the risk out of hiring private care.
- Affordable home care: Home care services can cost up to $40 per hour, but CareLinx caregivers start at just $5 an hour, with an average of around $15 to $25. Of course, more experienced caregivers will cost more.
- AARP discount: AARP members save 3 percent on their bills, which results in an average savings of $270.
- Flexible payment methods: Your insurance company or Medicare Advantage may cover CareLinx as a benefit. Otherwise, you can pay for CareLink out of pocket via direct deposit, credit, or debit card.
Cons
- No medical care: CareLinx offers companionship and personal care, but not private duty nursing.
- More work than going through an agency: CareLinx screens each of their caregivers, but it’s up to you to find and interview candidates. In comparison, home care agencies such as Granny Nannies do all the work vetting caregivers for you.
- No brick-and-mortar location: Unfortunately, CareLinx has no brick-and-mortar locations, so you can only get virtual assistance by contacting customer support.
Connect with local caregivers on Care.com.
What Is CareLinx?
CareLinx is a nationwide home care platform of over 450,000 caregivers aimed at improving health outcomes for aging adults. With CareLinx, you can find and interview caregivers, and then schedule in-home visits. Meanwhile, CareLinx handles issues related to certifications, background checks, insurance, and payment. With CareLinx, you can generally expect lower prices and greater flexibility compared with a home care agency.
CareLinx Over Time
CareLinx was founded in 2011 by Sherwin Sheik, an entrepreneur who saw a need for a more efficient way to connect families with home care providers. The company began as a tech-enabled home-based care company that coordinated nonmedical personal care services. Sharecare acquired CareLinx in 2021, according to a press release, and as of 2025, CareLinx is headquartered in Atlanta with a network of more than 450,000 care providers across the U.S.
Types of Care
CareLinx is intended for older adults who need companionship and assistance with activities of daily living, such as:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Reminding someone to take their medication
- Going to the bathroom
- Ambulating
- Preparing meals
- Shopping
- Helping with transportation
- Doing laundry
- Performing light housekeeping
You can hire someone for a long or short period, such as respite care after surgery. CareLinx does not, however, offer private-duty nursing or any medical care, which is one of the reasons hourly rates are so low.
What Are the Limits of CareLinx?
Unlike a service such as Papa Pals, which offers largely companion care, CareLinx provides more help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and going to the bathroom.
Most home care agencies will assess your needs and choose a caregiver for you. CareLinx, however, allows you to select your own. More of a platform than a service, CareLinx provides you with the tools to find your own caregiver. The upside is greater flexibility; the downside is that you have to put in more time searching for and interviewing candidates.
By using the company’s search tool, you can specify the type of help you need and search a database of local caregivers who can provide those services. Unlike hiring a private caregiver on your own and setting up background checks, payroll, and insurance for them, CareLinx does this for you.
CareLinx vs. Home Care Agency
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How Much Does CareLinx Cost?
CareLinx caregivers set their own prices, but you can expect to pay between $15 and $25 per hour on average, with a range of $5 to $40. Companion care will generally cost less, while more skilled care (toileting, feeding, and mobility, for example) will cost more. You will also have to pay a 15 percent service fee for payment processing and tax management. That fee is the only extra cost aside from the caregiver’s hourly rate. Even with the fee, CareLinx is still one of the cheapest options for in-home care.
How to Use CareLinx
If you’re looking for on-demand home care services for a loved one, CareLinx can provide an experienced caregiver with the touch of a button. With over 450,000 qualified caregivers in the network, you can find immediate, short-term, or long-term care for daily living tasks such as bathing, grooming, toileting, and meal prep.
To find a caregiver on CareLinx, you can go to the company’s website (https://www.carelinx.com/) and click on “Find a Caregiver.” From there, you will find a drop-down menu that asks for your ZIP code and your relationship to the person who needs home care services. Once you enter those details, you’ll receive a series of brief questions about care needs, when you need the service to begin, the duration of the care, the approximate weekly hours needed, and any health conditions they have.
Once you’ve filled out the form, CareLinx will share a list of caregivers in your area along with their years of experience, services available, and hourly cost. Once you find someone that interests you, you can begin messaging and interviewing candidates. You can also post a job, and caregivers will reach out to you to apply.
CareLinx App
The CareLinx app, available on iOS and Android devices, offers a similar set of features as the website. With the CareLinx app, you can:
- Select a caregiver.
- Post a job.
- Message caregivers.
- Take free online classes, like explanations of how to hire and communicate with caregivers.
- Review and pay invoices, which include clock-ins and clock-outs based on GPS.
How to Become a Caregiver With CareLinx
Register for free through CareLinx to be part of their network of over 450,000 caregivers. To sign up, visit the CareLinx website. You will need to enter an email address and create a password to build your caregiver profile. Next, CareLinx will verify your information and train you. Once you’re approved, you can apply for jobs and schedule interviews before beginning your work as a caregiver.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for professional home care services with qualified, on-demand caregivers, then CareLinx may be worth a try. CareLinx will most likely cost less than a home care agency, but you’ll have to put in a bit more legwork to find and schedule care.
To learn more about home care and caregiving techniques, check out our guides:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Does CareLinx do background checks?
Yes, CareLinx conducts background checks on the caregivers in their network.
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Does CareLinx accept Medicare or Medicaid?
CareLinx accepts only Medicare Advantage plans, otherwise known as Medicare Part C. They do not accept Medicare Parts A and B or Medicaid.
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Does it cost money to use CareLinx?
Yes, it costs money to use CareLinx, unless you get approval from Medicare Advantage. In addition to the caregiver’s hourly rate, you’ll pay a 15 percent service fee.
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Is CareLinx legitimate?
Yes, CareLinx is a legitimate nationwide caregiver marketplace platform. Their parent company as of 2021, Sharecare, Inc., is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau, where it has an A+ rating. Sharecare has been in business since 2010, while CareLinx has been in business since 2011.
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Can CareLinx caregivers provide medical care?
CareLinx caregivers cannot provide medical care, only medication reminders. The company does not offer skilled nursing, just companionship and personal care.
