Searching for in-home care for a loved one is often an overwhelming experience. Family members don’t know where to begin. Home care is a term that encompasses two types of care; home health care and home care. This article explains the differences between home care and home health care.
Types of Home Care
When people think about home care, they often associate it with a caregiver. This is called non-medical home care or simply home care. It’s also sometimes referred to as private duty home care, non-skilled home care, or even home help. Agencies that offer non-medical home care are providing non-skilled caregivers who provide different types of care for clients at home. Caregivers are not required to receive any formal schooling or training to work with clients, though agencies may have different hiring standards. They will care for clients for set hours through the week, daily, or 24 hours a day depending on the need. Caregivers assist with personal care such as:
- Activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting
- Respite care to give family and friends a caregiving break
- Companion care
- Light housekeeping such as vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes
- Transportation to medical appointments, shopping, or just to get out of the house
Home Health Care involves medical professionals including nurses, therapists, home health aides, and social workers visiting patients at home. The care they provide is known as skilled care because they must go through education, training, and licensing to work in home health care. Unlike caregivers, home health professionals visit a patient at set times during the week and do not provide personal care. They assist patients with medical care like:
- Wound Care
- IV therapy
- Injections
- Pain Management
- Monitoring serious illness and health status
Paying for Care
When they begin their search for home care, families commonly assume that Medicare and other types of insurance will cover the cost. Medicare and other insurance companies do pay for home health care so long as the requirements for it are met. Home health care agencies work with a patient’s doctor and provide services that the doctor has ordered for the patient based on medical needs. Those medical needs must be reflected in medical records. Most home health care agencies will also accept private payment from families.
Home care provided by caregivers is considered personal care and not covered by insurance generally. Sometimes long-term care insurance will help pay for care, and some Medicare Advantage plans are starting to cover this type of home care. However, families who need a caregiver must pay out-of-pocket in most cases.
How To Find the Right Care
The best way to find the right type of care is to talk with your loved one’s doctor or another medical professional who knows them. Ask if they are willing to evaluate your loved one or if they can provide care recommendations. If you are searching for comprehensive “home health care” in the Chico, CA area, or anywhere in Butte, Glenn or Tehama counties, reach out to Butte Home Health. Our staff of home health experts will be happy to guide you through obtaining our services. If you’re seeing “home care” you can reach out to our sister agency, Butte Home Health Plus.
