It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting The Old State House in Dover, DE gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Dover, DE is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Here's what I posted on Google and Facebook: Life would have been a lot harder without Always Best Care in my life, I have COPD and I am on oxygen full time at level 4 so doing daily chores are out question without my caregiver Ricci Anthony who has been taking tremendous care of me for 3 years this August 2022 and I thank God everyday for him. Every time he arrives he immediately says Hi checks in with me to see how I am doing. As well as, every time he departs I thank him for all that he does for me and I tell him I love him Ricci replies in same likeness. Ricci and I are incredible friends, it’s closer to a dad and son relationship. We’re both strong Christian me. As for Chelsea who does Intake and is the Schedules for Always Best Care equally an amazing individual. Don’t let her young age fool you on the contrary she is a powerhouse. She’s highly a professional, she’s industrious, highly intelligent, she’s a great friend and you can always depend on her to be in support for you. Always Best Care is always best care.”
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Silver Lake Park in Dover, DE with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Roma Italian Restaurant or visit Bradford-Loockerman House, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Dover, DE, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Dover, DE understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Dover, DE 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Why Should Delaware Care?Debate over how to reckon with the fast-growing data center industry has risen to the forefront of conversations at the state and local levels in Delaware. Amid concerns of electricity demand, Dover officials are considering an outright pause of data center projects.Dover’s proposal to impose an 18-month moratorium on data center approvals is advancing.On Tuesday, a Dover City Council committee voted unanimously to bring to the full council an ordinance that would pause official r...
Why Should Delaware Care?Debate over how to reckon with the fast-growing data center industry has risen to the forefront of conversations at the state and local levels in Delaware. Amid concerns of electricity demand, Dover officials are considering an outright pause of data center projects.
Dover’s proposal to impose an 18-month moratorium on data center approvals is advancing.
On Tuesday, a Dover City Council committee voted unanimously to bring to the full council an ordinance that would pause official reviews of data center proposals for up to a year-and-a-half. During the period, city officials would develop permanent policies regulating data centers.
Councilwoman Donyale Hall, who presented the idea to the committee, told Spotlight Delaware she plans to introduce the finalized ordinance to the City Council by September. Before then, she will work on shoring up the ordinance’s language, based on feedback from city staff, she said.
As currently written, the measure would establish an 18-month pause on the “acceptance, processing, review, approval and issuance of permits” for new data centers, while the city conducts a “comprehensive review” of the effects these facilities could have on Dover.
The capital city’s consideration of the measure comes amid a flurry of data center proposals and discussions over the past year about how the industry should fit into Delaware’s economy.
While New Castle and Kent counties recently approved rules limiting where a data center could be built in unincorporated areas, Dover appears to be the first municipality in Delaware considering a policy to halt the review of data center projects for a period of time.
If ultimately approved, Dover also would likely be the first jurisdiction of any kind in the state to implement a temporary ban on data center projects.
The General Assembly also passed a slate of bills in June regulating data centers, including one that would require developers to supply all of the power the facility would use for the first 10 years of operations.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Hall and Paul Waddell, Dover’s electric director, said Dover needs to undertake a more comprehensive study of the potential impacts of data centers on the city’s electrical infrastructure and other utilities before adopting a permanent policy.
They also have cited concerns that there could be an influx of data center proposals within Dover city limits following Kent County’s recent passage of strict regulations.
“This is not about closing Dover’s doors to data centers,” Hall said. “It’s about making sure that before we open that door, we understand what is on the other side.”
The conversation about a data center moratorium occurred near the end of a marathon four-hour City Council Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday.
While city council members, residents and experts sparred over other topics – including building safety codes, and how the city should use its Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission money – the proposed data center pause was a rare moment of unity between the city government and members of the public.
Hall described the proposed moratorium as necessary to give the city time to make an “informed decision” about whether data center projects are well-suited to Dover, and if so how to implement them without forcing residents to bear the costs.
She and Waddell both said the city has already been approached about at least one small-to-medium-sized data center project. Neither would share additional information when pressed for details about the potential project.
City Council President Fred Neil said figuring out the city’s approach to electricity costs and data centers is a complicated “jigsaw puzzle” that will take more time, especially after a Wilmington-based company recently announced plans to open a clean hydrogen production facility in Dover.
While residents raised a litany of concerns about other agenda items at the committee meeting, the attendees who lasted until the late-evening discussion of the moratorium said they support the data center pause, particularly as the city government raised residential electric usage rates in its fiscal year 2027 budget.
Dover resident Bill Faust, who is a frequent critic of the city government, said he supports the pause so that the city can be careful not to “create another monster” in the form of overloaded electricity and water usage systems from data centers.
At the same time, Linda Parkowski, executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership, advised that the city move efficiently – quicker than the 18-month maximum time frame provide by Hall’s proposal – to develop a permanent policy on data centers.
“We don’t want to send a signal out that we’re not open for business, and that could be how this is interpreted,” Parkowski said at the meeting.
New Castle and Kent counties and a handful of municipalities around the state have passed measures regulating where data centers can be located.
Kent County’s new regulations, which passed the Levy Court unanimously last month, require a 300-foot buffer between data centers and residents; 6-foot tall tree or bush buffers; a noise limit; and a written statement from water and electric providers about how the project would impact existing infrastructure resources.
The Kent County attorney said at the July meeting that county officials are also in the process of conducting a legal review to see whether a complete ban on data centers is a viable option.
The county’s data center policies do not apply to possible projects in Dover or any other incorporated community within the county, including a proposal under consideration in Harrington.
New Castle County also adopted regulations similar to those of Kent County earlier this spring, following months of acrimony between county council members, and debate over a controversial data center project proposed near Delaware City.
Over the past couple of years, Delaware Public Media has reported on the fate of the fading Concord Mall in North Wilmington — another example of the demise of that particular retail concept.But there is another mall in the First State similar to Concord Mall that seems to be defying the odds and remaining viable. And we’re not talking about the Christiana Mall which is a very different animal. We’re talking about the Dover Mall.Recently, that mall got a boost from the planned revival of a movie theater there and this week...
The curtain will soon go up on the next act for Dover Mall with the opening of Dover 14, a multi-screen, amenity-rich movie theater and the largest new presence in the mall in years.
Operated by a local entrepreneur who already owns three cinemas, the multiplex replaces a national AMC venue, which abruptly closed in 2024, leaving the mall without a theatre for the first time in 40 years.
The opening of Dover Movies 14 later this summer or early fall marks more than the return of first-run films. It represents a step in the evolution of one of the state's best-known shopping centers, where the traditional department store model is steadily giving way to a broader mix of services and destination businesses.
When AMC turned off the lights, Dover suddenly became an anomaly: a state capital without a nearby movie theater. Residents wanting to catch the latest blockbuster faced a roughly 30-minute drive north to Middletown or 40 minutes south to Milford.
AMC said at the time that the closure followed the company's routine review of theater performance and business opportunities. But the departure reflected a larger national trend. Major theater chains have become increasingly selective, trimming locations that fail to meet profitability goals as movie attendance has yet to recover from the pandemic, when movie goers started nesting at home and binged with an ever-expanding menu of streaming options.
The leading man at Dover 14 is independent theater operator Arthur Helmick, whose family already operates successful cinemas in Newark, Middletown and Milford. Helmick is investing in a comprehensive modernization designed to lure patrons off the couch and into the theatre for an experience they can’t get at home.
Moviegoers can expect advanced laser projection for sharper images, Dolby sound systems, heated stadium-style reclining seats, online reserved ticketing, self-serve popcorn stations and an interactive AI-powered selfie wall designed to encourage visitors to share their experience on social media. The theater will also feature a full slate of major Hollywood releases and upgraded concession offerings.
"Our focus is always on innovation and creating a memorable experience for our guests," Helmick said in announcing the deal.
That philosophy reflects one advantage many independent theater operators believe they hold over national chains. With fewer corporate layers, locally owned theaters can respond more quickly to customer preferences, upgrade amenities, and tailor programming to local audiences. They can nimbly accommodate patrons who prefer Jolly Ranchers over Junior Mints. Lower overhead and deep familiarity with their communities also can make indie locations financially viable where larger companies see diminishing returns.
The theater lease also represents one of the largest retail transactions completed at Dover Mall since AMC's departure.
Built in 1982, Dover Mall has experienced many of the same challenges facing enclosed shopping centers nationwide. The decline of department stores, growing competition from online retail and changing consumer habits have forced mall owners to rethink how their properties can attract customers.
Owned by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, Dover is second only to Christiana Mall in size in Delaware, with 927,414 square feet. Despite the decline in shopping malls, the property has steadily diversified its tenant mix. The former Sears anchor now houses It's My Style Home Furnishings, which operates stores from North Dover to the Delaware beaches. Other anchors include Boscov’s, JCPenney, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, plus junior anchor Old Navy. A Walmart truck-driving school opened in part of the mall in 2022. Other spaces, including the former Macy's anchor store, remain vacant.
Over the years, the mall also has reflected changing social norms. In 1983, a six-screen multiplex theater opened, expanding to 14 screens in 1996. In 1993, Dover Mall became one of the first shopping centers in Delaware to prohibit indoor smoking after a survey of 500 shoppers found nearly 80 percent supported the ban.
Today's transformation is less about public health than economic survival.
Across the country, many aging multiplexes have disappeared altogether, with former theaters converted into pickleball facilities, churches, fitness centers, medical offices and family entertainment venues. Where new theaters are being built, developers increasingly favor smaller luxury cinemas or boutique concepts that serve as one piece of a broader entertainment district rather than the primary attraction.
That shift reflects changing consumer expectations. While the number of screens has not declined dramatically, the number of viewers has shrunk.
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 53 percent of U.S. adults had visited a movie theater during the previous year. Younger audiences remain the industry's strongest supporters: 67 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 reported going to the movies, compared with 39 percent of adults 65 and older. Income also plays a role, with 64 percent of upper-income Americans attending theaters during the year versus 43 percent of lower-income adults.
Increasingly, that experience extends beyond the auditorium.
Successful mall redevelopments around the country have paired theaters with restaurants, outdoor gathering spaces and entertainment venues that encourage visitors to spend an entire evening rather than making a single shopping trip. Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, Tysons Corner Center in Virginia and Westfield UTC near San Diego all have embraced a "dinner-and-a-movie" model in which restaurants benefit from steady evening traffic generated by nearby cinemas as consumers enjoy a bite to eat and/or cocktails before or after the show.
At present, Dover Mall offers quick-service dining but no traditional sit-down restaurants with table service. Residents already are imagining what might come next. On the Delaware Social Facebook page, several commenters said they'd like to see The Cheesecake Factory join the mall's tenant mix, while others argued that entertainment is the key to the mall's future.
"Some type of recreational fun center like Main Event or Lefty's," one commenter wrote. "I just moved down to Dover and hate the fact that if I want to do anything with my family I have to drive back up to Middletown or Newark."
Others suggested recruiting Primark, the Ireland-based retailer known for fashion-forward clothing, home goods and beauty products at value prices. Currently, the closest Primark is in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Another commenter championed a full-service grocery store, writing, "PLEASE BRING A SHOPRITE DOWN DOVER!!!"
Couples in the Philadelphia suburbs, Baltimore, North Jersey, and Washington face a choice when retiring: Florida or closer to home? More and more are surprisingly choosing Delaware. The senior housing industry calls this the “half-back phenomenon”: retirees who move south and later return partway, or who never leave at all.Taxes dominate coverage, but the reason that keeps coming up is distance. From much of Delaware, children and grandchildren are a few hours away by car, and weekly babysitting remains possible. What fol...
Couples in the Philadelphia suburbs, Baltimore, North Jersey, and Washington face a choice when retiring: Florida or closer to home? More and more are surprisingly choosing Delaware. The senior housing industry calls this the “half-back phenomenon”: retirees who move south and later return partway, or who never leave at all.
Taxes dominate coverage, but the reason that keeps coming up is distance. From much of Delaware, children and grandchildren are a few hours away by car, and weekly babysitting remains possible. What follows is what that choice costs and what it takes to pay for it.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Delaware’s regional price parity at 99.808 and Florida’s at 103.414. On that scale, 100 is the national average. The BLS says the average household spends $78,535 a year. Adjusted for local prices, that comes to about $78,400 in Delaware and $81,200 in Florida. Delaware runs about $2,800 a year cheaper before taxes.
Medicare Part B costs $202.90 per person per month, or about $4,870 a year for a couple. That places the working budget near $83,300 in Delaware and $86,100 in Florida. Housing, food, utilities, and out-of-pocket care are all inside the BLS baseline. Gas is running $4.48 a gallon nationally.
Per-capita state and local taxes adjusted for income are $8,130 in Delaware and $5,110 in Florida. That $3,020 gap nearly wipes out Delaware’s cost-of-living edge. Category rankings tell a different story. In the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, Delaware ranks 1st for property tax and 2nd for sales tax, but falls to 42nd on individual income tax and 50th on corporate tax. The corporate ranking concerns businesses, not households.
Retirees get a break on income tax. Delaware doesn’t tax Social Security, and people age 60 or older can exclude up to $12,500 each in pension and eligible retirement income. A couple drawing about $33,150 from savings has $25,000 excluded, leaving only about $8,150 taxable in Delaware. Florida has no income tax, but homeowners insurance in coastal Florida has become very expensive.
The SSA’s average retired-worker benefit is $2,087.52 a month. For two retired workers, that’s about $50,100 a year. Subtract that from the Delaware budget and savings must cover roughly $33,150 a year. At a 4% withdrawal rate, that takes about $829,000. For Florida, the gap is $36,000, so you’d need about $900,000.
When you claim Social Security, it changes these numbers more than location. Each year you wait past full retirement age of 67 adds 8% to your check, so waiting until 70 means benefits about 24% larger. That reduces the Delaware gap to about $21,100 and savings needed to about $528,000. The 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is on track for 3.3%.
The 30-year inflation-protected Treasury yield is 3.22%, and the 10-year is 2.83%. A 30-year ladder of these bonds at 3.22% pays about 5.25% of its starting value each year, with payments increasing with inflation. Covering the $33,150 gap takes about $631,500 instead of $829,000. The ladder runs out in year 30 and leaves nothing for heirs. Many couples split the money, using the ladder for core spending and stock index funds for longevity risk.
A couple with average Social Security benefits needs about $830,000 to fund an average Delaware lifestyle at a 4% withdrawal rate. Using an inflation-protected ladder at today’s real yields brings that to about $630,000. Claiming at 70 brings the 4% target to about $530,000. Delaware and Florida come out close on money alone: Delaware’s lower prices roughly cancel Florida’s lower overall taxes. Delaware’s retiree tax breaks reduce its bill further, and you avoid Florida’s insurance costs. Delaware’s real advantage is proximity to family, which can be the easy deciding factor for any person or couple deciding between the two.
Disclaimer: Investing in securities involves a risk of loss. Past performance is never a guarantee of future returns. Investing in foreign stock markets involves additional risks, such as the risk of currency fluctuations. Guides are provided by Fisher Investments. The publisher may be compensated when readers request a guide.
David Beren has been a Flywheel Publishing contributor since 2022. Writing for 24/7 Wall St. since 2023, David loves to write about topics of all shapes and sizes. As a technology expert, David focuses heavily on consumer electronics brands, automobiles, and general technology. He has previously written for LifeWire, formerly About.com. As a part-time freelance writer, David’s “day job” has been working on and leading social media for multiple Fortune 100 brands. David loves the flexibility of this field and its ability to reach customers exactly where they like to spend their time. Additionally, David previously published his own blog, TmoNews.com, which reached 3 million readers in its first year. In addition to freelance and social media work, David loves to spend time with his family and children and relive the glory days of video game consoles by playing any retro game console he can get his hands on.
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DOVER — Delaware-based Aternium announced Dover as the home of its first commercial clean hydrogen production facility on Tuesday with plans to bring a projected $226 million investment to Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park.The clean hydrogen company has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase approximately 20 acres across two adjacent parcels and it expects to close on the properties during the fourth quarter of 2026.Aternium Founder and CEO Andrew Cottone told the Delaware Business Times in an email that ...
DOVER — Delaware-based Aternium announced Dover as the home of its first commercial clean hydrogen production facility on Tuesday with plans to bring a projected $226 million investment to Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park.
The clean hydrogen company has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase approximately 20 acres across two adjacent parcels and it expects to close on the properties during the fourth quarter of 2026.
Aternium Founder and CEO Andrew Cottone told the Delaware Business Times in an email that the two properties to be purchased are 201 and 301 Garrison Oak Drive. The industrial park is less than two miles east of Delaware Route 1.
“Dover and the wider mid-Atlantic region offer several attractive industrial options, but Garrison Oaks stood out because it combined the right land position, infrastructure potential and a constructive local environment,” Cottone told the Delaware Business Times.
Aternium’s industrial campus will consist of approximately three primary buildings including an administration and operations building and two process buildings along with outdoor processing equipment and utilities. Final building sizes will be determined during the engineering phase.
The project is expected to support about 50 permanent jobs while generating hundreds of construction positions and additional work for contractors and industrial service companies.
Cottone said plans for Aternium’s Dover facility include the production of approximately 24 metric tons of clean hydrogen per day and 15 metric tons of heavy water annually. Heavy water, also known as deuterium oxide, is used in semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, advanced electronics, nuclear energy, defense and emerging fusion technologies and is currently sourced largely from overseas, according to Aternium.
“This investment puts Delaware at the forefront of the next generation of energy and advanced manufacturing,” Gov. Matt Meyer said in a press release. “By producing deuterium, one of the world’s most critical materials for semiconductors, nuclear reactors, fusion energy and pharmaceuticals, Aternium will become one of, if not the only, domestic producer of this essential resource.”
The announcement also comes just weeks after the city to establish regulations for clean hydrogen production facilities, a change Cottone said was critical in the site selection process.
Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park, a nearly 400-acre industrial campus on White Oak Road, was acquired by the City of Dover in 1999 with state funding to create a high-technology industrial park.
Over the past 25 years, the city has expanded the park’s permitted uses, invested in infrastructure and marketed the property for advanced manufacturing and industrial users. Today, the campus is home to companies including Uzin Utz, Advantech and Garrison Energy Center, as well as several additional warehouse and industrial projects approved or under development.
“The zoning update was a critical enabler for the project because it created a clear, responsible pathway for hydrogen and oxygen manufacturing in Dover,” he told DBT. “The mayor, city council and planning commission helped establish a framework that supports advanced high-purity hydrogen manufacturing while maintaining strong expectations for safety, environmental protection and community compatibility.”
Cottone added that the Dover campus will serve as the company’s flagship facility and the first in a broader network of production sites planned throughout the Mid-Atlantic, a long-term goal for the company that was founded in 2023.
Aternium is currently evaluating additional locations across the mid-Atlantic area for future projects, adding that growth is a key component of Aternium’s future in the clean hydrogen industry.
“Aternium’s strategy has always been to ‘design one, build many,’ using standardized project design to improve safety, accelerate execution, reduce cost and drive operational excellence across multiple sites. In addition to Dover, Aternium is actively evaluating three additional opportunities across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware,” Cottone told DBT.
Kent Economic Partnership Executive Director Linda Parkowski called the move a “major win for Central Delaware” in the press release.
“This project is a testament to what can be accomplished through strong collaboration between the private sector and our local and state partners. We are proud to have supported Aternium throughout this process and look forward to the creation of high-quality, well-paying jobs and the positive economic impact this investment will bring to our community,” she said.
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