“Home care” and “home health care” sound almost identical, and many people use them interchangeably. But they’re different services, delivered by different professionals and usually paid for in different ways. Understanding home care vs. home health care helps you get the right help and avoid surprises.
Quick answer: Home care is non-medical help with daily living, like bathing, dressing, meals, companionship, and transportation, and is usually arranged by families and paid privately. Home health care is skilled medical care, like nursing or physical therapy, ordered by a doctor and often covered by Medicare for a limited time.
What Is Home Care?
Home care (also called non-medical home care, personal care, or custodial care) helps people with the activities of everyday life. Trained caregivers provide:
- Bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting
- Help moving around the home safely
- Meal preparation and light housekeeping
- Medication reminders
- Companionship and activities
- Errands and rides to appointments
Home care can be short-term or ongoing, a few hours a week or around the clock. It doesn’t require a doctor’s order. Read more in What Is Non-Medical Home Care?
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health care is clinical care delivered at home by licensed professionals, such as registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. Services include:
- Wound care and dressing changes
- Injections and IV therapy
- Monitoring of serious health conditions
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Teaching patients and families how to manage a condition
Home health care requires a doctor’s order and is usually intermittent: a few visits a week for a limited period, often after a hospital stay or new diagnosis.
Home Care vs. Home Health Care: Side-by-Side Comparison
- Purpose: Home care supports daily living and independence. Home health treats or rehabilitates a medical condition.
- Who provides it: Home care uses trained caregivers. Home health uses nurses and therapists.
- Doctor’s order: Not needed for home care. Required for home health.
- Schedule: Home care is flexible, from a few hours to 24/7. Home health visits are typically short and intermittent.
- Duration: Home care can continue as long as needed. Home health ends when goals are met.
- Payment: Home care is usually private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, or Medicaid programs. Home health is often covered by Medicare or health insurance when criteria are met.
Why Many Families Use Both
The two services work well together. Picture a father coming home after a hip replacement. A home health physical therapist visits twice a week to guide his exercises. Between those visits, a home caregiver helps him shower safely, makes meals, reminds him of his medications, and drives him to follow-ups. The therapist focuses on recovery; the caregiver makes daily life possible.
When home health services end, many people still need help with daily living. That’s often when ongoing home care begins. For more on that transition, see our guide to recovering at home.
What About Cost and Coverage?
This is where the difference really matters. Original Medicare generally covers home health care for people who meet requirements, but it generally does not cover ongoing non-medical home care when that’s the only help someone needs. Most families pay for home care privately or through long-term care insurance, veterans’ benefits, or Medicaid waivers. Our guide on how to pay for home care covers every option.
How to Tell Which One You Need
Ask yourself:
- Does my loved one need medical treatment or therapy? Talk with their doctor about home health.
- Does my loved one need help with bathing, meals, companionship, or getting around? Home care is the right fit.
- Is it both? Many people benefit from combining services.
If you’re still unsure, a free in-home care assessment can help sort it out. And when you’re comparing providers, our guide to choosing the right home care provider is a good next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is home care covered by insurance?
Standard health insurance and Original Medicare usually don’t cover non-medical home care. Long-term care insurance, VA benefits, and some Medicaid programs may.
Can a home caregiver work alongside a home health nurse?
Yes. Many families use both, and caregivers can help reinforce the routines the nurse or therapist recommends.
How Briggs Home Care Can Help
Briggs Home Care provides non-medical home care that fits around your loved one’s life and any medical services they receive. Explore our home care services, find a location near you, or call 1-833-960-CARE (2273).
Related Reading
- Start here: How to Choose the Right Home Care Provider for Your Family
- What Is Non-Medical Home Care? A Plain-English Guide for Families
- 25 Questions to Ask a Home Care Agency Before You Hire
Trusted outside resource: Eldercare Locator (U.S. Administration for Community Living)
