Home Care vs. Home Health - What is the Difference?
Home Care vs. Home Health
What is the difference?
There is Confusion
One of the most confusing things in all of healthcare is to explain the differences between what home care is and what home health is. Even most people who work in the healthcare industry are unable to distinguish or articulate the differences. This may seem improbable, but it is true.
Basic Definition Home Care vs Home Health
The most basic way to look at this is Home Care is defined as a non-medical in home care service. Providing comprehensive help to people who do not want to go into a senior care facility and want to age in place in their home. Over 90% of people would rather have services at home as opposed to being in a facility. Most utilized services are help with mobility, bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, dementia care, medication reminders, transportation, and friendly companionship.
Home Health is a medical service usually offered in limited visits for a short period of time. This can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, wound care, injections, and additional skilled nursing.
Home Care and Home Health Can Go Hand-In-Hand
Often having both Home Care and Home Health services at the same time is the best way to live a healthy and enjoyable life as we age. Virtually every study shows people who receive services at home live longer, healthier, and happier lives as opposed to those who go to assisted living, independent living, or a nursing home. With today’s technological advances many services available in a facility are also available at home. And most home care options provide more services than assisted living, and far more than an independent living environment.
What is the Cost of Home Care and Home Health?
Most home care is out-of-pocket private pay. Traditional Medicare and most private insurance pay nothing for home care. A specialty long term care insurance policy can pay for home care. There are also some provisions for veterans to pay for home care. Ask any licensed home care agency and they should be able to inform you how to investigate if a veteran can qualify for home care coverage. Some Medicare Advantage plans have very limited coverage for home care. For the most part home care costs will come from your savings and investments.
The average cost in the Lake Norman area for home care ranges from $28-$35 an hour.
Medicaid can pay for home care, but very few home care agencies will accept Medicaid.
Home health is covered by Medicare and most private insurance. The coverage is for a very limited time (less than a few months at most) and visits are usually a few times a week for around an hour per visit. Home health is not a comprehensive solution for care needs. But it can be very valuable to build strength, help with balance, and help recover from illness or surgery. Quite often home health alone is not enough. A family caregiver often is overburdened to be the only option for in-home care. Hiring a licensed home care agency is the safest and most cost-effective approach to care at home. Hiring a “friend” or “friend of a friend” to provide care at home, or hiring from a clearinghouse website for caregivers puts the patient at great risk for safety and liability. This is why licensed home care agencies and licensed home health companies exist. To offer the best and safest option for care at home.
Conclusion
The most popular, safest, and healthiest approach to care for aging seniors is home care along with home health. Home care also helps clients/patients be compliant with the exercises home health may prescribe in-between visits. And continue those exercises after home health has been completed. Home care has no end date. People can utilize home care services for as long as needed.
Visiting Angels Lake Norman is a leader in the local healthcare community and remains the premiere choice for home care with years of experience interacting with home health companies. We recommend the following local home health providers:
Centerwell Home Health: https://www.centerwellhomehealth.com/
Adoration Home Health: https://adorationhealth.com/location/advanced-home-health-charlotte/
Iredell Home Health: https://www.iredellhomehealth.com/