Age d’Or Services bills its home assistance services based on an hourly rate that varies according to the type of intervention, the level of dependency of the person being assisted, and the location of the agency. Understanding the structure of these rates allows for anticipating the actual budget before requesting a quote.
Base rate and floor rate: two regulatory benchmarks to distinguish
Before analyzing the prices charged by a franchise network like Age d’Or Services, two regulatory concepts need to be established. They directly affect the out-of-pocket expenses for families.
The 2026 base rate for home assistance authorized for social aid is set at 24.58 euros per hour. This amount serves as a reference for services funded by local authorities. When an agency charges above this threshold, the difference may remain the responsibility of the beneficiary, even if they receive departmental assistance.
The national floor rate for the APA (Personalized Autonomy Allowance) at home is set at 25 euros per hour for services funded by a care plan. This floor guarantees a minimum level of remuneration for the caregivers, but it also regulates the amount on which the department calculates its contribution. If the local Age d’Or Services agency applies a higher rate, the gap between the APA floor and the actual price constitutes a direct additional cost for the family.
Knowing these two thresholds before comparing the rates of Age d’Or Services in 2026 helps avoid confusing the displayed price with the actual out-of-pocket expenses.
Age d’Or Services: how the franchise model influences rates
Age d’Or Services operates as a franchise network. Each agency is an independent business that sets its own pricing schedules within the general framework defined by the network’s head office. This organization explains why two agencies located in different departments can offer significantly different rates for the same service.
Several local factors influence the hourly rate:
- The cost of labor in the job market, which varies depending on the demand in the home assistance sector and the level of qualification of the hired caregivers.
- The positioning of the agency relative to the departmental base rate: some agencies authorized for social aid align their prices, while others position themselves above to finance more personalized support.
- The costs associated with the operation of the franchise (network fees, ongoing training, management tools), which are included in the hourly rate charged to the client.
The Age d’Or Services network covers a variety of services: housekeeping, shopping assistance, personal hygiene help, night care, meal delivery. Each type of service corresponds to a different pricing level, with assistance for daily living activities generally being more expensive than cleaning or ironing.
Exemption from employer contributions: the change in July 2026
For families whose relative employs a home caregiver in a direct employment mode, a reform that came into effect on July 1, 2026, modifies the calculation of the actual cost. The decree of April 8, 2026, raised the threshold for automatic exemption from employer contributions from 70 years to 80 years.
Specifically, people aged 70 to 79 who do not receive either the APA or the PCH now pay employer contributions that they did not pay before. This increase does not affect beneficiaries of the APA, nor those who go through a service provider like Age d’Or Services in provider mode.
The distinction is important. In provider mode, the agency is the employer of the caregiver: the issue of employer exemption does not arise for the client. In mandataire or direct employment mode, the individual is the employer and directly bears this additional charge since July 2026.
Retroactivity abandoned
The retroactivity to January 1, 2026, initially planned, was abandoned on April 29, 2026, as confirmed by Urssaf. The exemption has therefore been maintained for all declarations until June 2026 inclusive.
Tax credit and APA: reducing out-of-pocket expenses for Age d’Or Services
The face value of an hour of home assistance does not correspond to the final cost. Two main mechanisms reduce the bill, and their interaction determines the actual budget.
The 50% tax credit on personal services applies to home assistance services billed by Age d’Or Services. This credit covers half of the amounts paid, up to an annual ceiling. The payment can be advanced in the form of an immediate advance by Urssaf, which reduces the monthly outlay.
The APA at home, paid by the department according to the beneficiary’s GIR (Group of Autonomy Reference), directly finances part of the assistance hours. The monthly ceilings were increased on January 1, 2026, with different amounts depending on the level of dependency. The APA care plan covers hours up to the floor rate of 25 euros. Any billing above this floor remains the responsibility of the family.
Other aids complement the system: supplementary pension funds offer one-time or regular assistance for home support, and the PCH finances human assistance for people with disabilities, regardless of their age.
Requesting a quote from Age d’Or Services: points to check
The quote from an agency in the network must detail the hourly rate by type of service, any travel expenses, and specify whether the intervention falls under provider or mandataire mode. The chosen mode radically changes the overall cost, especially since the July 2026 reform on exemptions.
Checking whether the local agency is authorized for social aid allows you to know if the departmental base rate of 24.58 euros applies. An unauthorized agency can charge freely, which increases the out-of-pocket expenses even with the APA.
The amount of the tax credit must be calculated on the net paid after deduction of the APA, not on the gross billed. This calculation error is common and skews the budget estimate by several hundred euros per year.