HAR Title 11, Chapter 700 Scope • ADL & IADL Support
Personal Care Services & Companion Care in Honolulu & Across Oahu
Whether an aging parent in Manoa, Kailua, or Pearl City needs respectful help with morning bathing and dressing, safe transfers to prevent falls, or a friendly companion for fresh island meal preparation and doctor appointments, connect with a Hawaii DOH OHCA state-licensed Home Care Agency (`-HCA`).
Hawaii DOH Compliance & Referral Disclosure: OahuHomeCare.com is an independent consumer information and referral service in Honolulu County, HI—not a licensed Home Care Agency—and connects families exclusively with Hawaii Department of Health Office of Health Care Assurance (OHCA) state-licensed Home Care Agencies (-HCA) and Home Health Agencies (HHA-) under HRS § 321-14.8 and HAR Title 11, Chapter 700.
Dignified Daily Assistance: Personal Hygiene, Mobility & NutritionProvided by Hawaii DOH `-HCA` Licensed Partner Agencies
✓Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Assistance: Hands-on support with shower safety, sponge baths, oral hygiene, dressing, grooming, restroom use, and incontinence care.
✓Mobility & Fall-Risk Reduction: Stand-by assistance on stairs and hallways, bed-to-wheelchair transfers, walker supervision, and range-of-motion exercises.
✓Homemaker & Nutritious Meal Prep: Preparing familiar local dishes and low-sodium or diabetic-friendly meals, grocery shopping at Foodland/Times/Don Quijote, and light housekeeping.
✓Qualifies for LTC Insurance & VA Reimbursement: Hands-on ADL assistance from a state-licensed -HCA agency triggers benefit eligibility under most Long-Term Care Insurance policies.
Request Personal or Companion Care Quotes
Get matched with a state-licensed Oahu Home Care Agency (`-HCA`) for personal care or homemaker support.
Non-Medical / Non-PHI Notice: Please do not enter confidential medical diagnoses or Social Security numbers.
Comparing Companion / Homemaker Care vs. Hands-On Personal Care on Oahu
Under HAR Title 11, Chapter 700, Hawaii DOH-licensed Home Care Agencies offer two primary tiers of non-medical support in the home.
Care Category
Included Daily Tasks
Typical Oahu Hourly Rate
Best Fit For Kūpuna Who...
Homemaker & Companion Care (IADLs)
Meal preparation, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, laundry, linen changes, medication reminders, social companionship, and escorted transportation to medical appointments.
$37 – $40/hr (~$7,627/mo at 44 hrs/wk CareScout benchmark)
Are still independent with bathroom routines and walking, but no longer drive or need help keeping up with cooking, errands, and household safety.
Personal Care / Home Care Aide (ADLs)
Everything in Homemaker Care plus hands-on help with bathing/showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, incontinence care, feeding assistance, and bed/chair transfers.
$39 – $43/hr ($41/hr Hawaii median; ~$8,103/mo at 44 hrs/wk)
Experience balance issues, arthritis, stroke recovery, frailty, or require hands-on physical assistance with 2+ Activities of Daily Living (qualifying for LTC insurance).
Detailed Activities of Daily Living (ADL) & IADL Checklist
When a state-licensed Oahu Home Care Agency performs an initial in-home assessment, their care coordinator builds a customized written Service Plan around these core areas:
Personal Care (ADLs — Physical Assistance)
Bathing & Shower Safety: Stepping into tub/shower stalls, using shower chairs and grab bars safely, drying off, and skin care.
Dressing & Grooming: Selecting comfortable island attire, buttoning/zipping, putting on footwear or compression stockings, hair care, shaving, and oral care.
Mobility & Transfers: Safe stand-pivot transfers from bed to wheelchair or recliner, walker stability indoors and on the lanai, and fall prevention.
Toileting & Continence Support: Escorting to the bathroom day or night, commode assistance, and discreet incontinence product changes.
Eating & Hydration: Cutting food, cueing regular water/fluid intake during warm Oahu afternoons, and monitoring appetite.
Kitchen & Local Meal Prep: Cooking warm breakfasts, soups, rice, fish, and fresh fruit; labeling leftovers; washing dishes and sanitizing counters.
Light Housekeeping & Laundry: Vacuuming/sweeping living areas, wiping bathroom surfaces, changing bed sheets, washing/folding clothes, and taking out trash.
Errands & Medical Escort: Accompanied rides to clinics at Queen's, Straub, Kaiser Moanalua, Pali Momi, or Kuakini, plus Longs Drugs pharmacy pickups.
Non-Clinical Medication Reminders: Opening pill organizers at scheduled times and reminding the client to take prescribed medications per family instructions.
Meaningful Social Engagement: Talking story, reading the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, tending patio orchids, puzzles, and keeping family updated.
