What Is Home Care?

Many older adults prefer to receive care in their own homes, rather than moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility, and home care can be a good option for individuals who need some assistance with daily activities but are still able to live independently. Home care can also be helpful for seniors who are dealing with chronic health conditions or who are recovering from an illness or injury and need help with medical treatment or nursing care. 

Home care can mean different things and be called by different names.  In-home care solutions vary by 1) type of care, 2) who provides it, and 3) who pays for it.  

Home care can include:

• Help with daily activities such as dressing and bathing
• Assistance with safely managing tasks around the house
• Companionship
• Therapy and rehabilitative services
• Short or long-term nursing care for an illness, disease, or disability

Types of home care

Not all home care providers offer all the different types of home care services. Care is customized to your individual needs and may include services from one or more of the types described. While the multiple types of home care may serve different needs, they share a common goal: to enable happier, more independent living for the people receiving care, and to provide support and peace of mind for their families.

 

Personal Care and Companionship

Help with everyday activities like bathing and dressing, meal preparation, and household tasks to enable independence and safety.  

Services Provided:

• Assistance with self-care, such as grooming, bathing, dressing, and using the toilet

• Enabling safety at home by assisting with ambulation, transfer (e.g., from bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to toilet), and fall prevention

• Assistance with meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, errands, medication reminders, and escorting to appointments

• Companionship and engaging in hobbies and activities

• Supervision for someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Paid for by:

Personal care and companionship services are usually paid directly by the person receiving care (private pay), or through long-term care insurance or Medicaid. Other funding sources include:

• Health insurance

• Veterans benefits

• Workers’ compensation

Provided by:

Personal care and companionship does not need to be prescribed by a doctor. Care provided on an ongoing basis on a schedule that meets a client’s needs, up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including possible live-in care.

 

Home Health Care

Short-term, physician-directed care designed to help a patient prevent or recover from an illness, injury, or hospital stay.

Services Provided include:

• Short-term nursing services

• Physical therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Speech language pathology

• Medical social work

• Home health aide services

Paid for by:

When specific qualifications are met (generally, when services are ordered by a physician and a clinical assessment deems them necessary), Home Health services are typically paid for by Medicare or Private Insurance.

Provided by:

Home health care needs to be prescribed by a doctor. Care is provided through visits from specialized clinicians that last up to an hour, on a short-term basis until individual goals are met.

 

Private Duty Nursing Care

Long-term, hourly nursing care at home for adults with a chronic illness, injury, or disability.  Private duty nursing care is a type of in-home health care provided by a nurse to a patient on a one-on-one basis. Private duty nursing care is often provided to individuals who have complex medical needs or who require ongoing care and monitoring due to a chronic illness or disability. Private duty nurses may provide a range of services, including administering medications, monitoring vital signs, providing wound care, and assisting with activities of daily living. Private duty nursing care is typically arranged through a home health care agency and is paid for by the patient or the patient's insurance. It is an alternative to receiving care in a hospital or nursing home setting.

Services Provided include:

• Care for diseases and conditions 

• Ventilator care

• Tracheostomy care

• Monitoring vital signs

• Administering medications

• Ostomy/gastrostomy care

• Feeding tube care

• Catheter care

Paid for by:

Private duty nursing care can be paid through a variety of sources, including:

• Private pay

• Health insurance

• Veterans benefits

• Workers’ compensation

• Medicaid (with qualifications)

• Direct payment by person receiving care (private pay)

Provided by:

Private duty nursing care needs to be prescribed by a doctor. Care is provided primarily in shifts, up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.