Understand the difference between home health and home care? Here’s what you need to know if you have aging parents…
Both are provided in-home. But the two are often confused. They tend to be complementary, not substitutes.
Home Health
Home health is typically medical care, provided by licensed practitioners (typically a Registered Nurse), under the supervision of a physician, with reimbursement by Medicare, Medicaid, or private health insurance.
Their visits are typically short and they see many patients per day. They perform specific medical tasks such as physical therapy or wound care. The duration of such care is often shorter, tied to recovery from a specific injury or management of a particular condition.
Home Care
Home care is typically non-medical, provided by a caregiver (without certification or a Certified Nursing Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Personal Care Assistant, or other), without the need for supervision by a physician, with payment out of pocket or from a long-term care insurance plan.
Their shifts are typically 6-10 hours and they tend to work with only one client per day (maybe two). They assist with activities of daily living such as transferring, companionship, meal preparation and feeding, hygiene and toileting, transportation, and medication reminders. The duration of their care tends to be longer-term, since seniors with such needs are unlikely to regain independent function in these areas.
The Full Picture
A senior might have a professional caregiver working weekdays from 9am-7pm (for example, to enable a family member to work) and a home health aide might visit 1-3 times per week (for example, to rehabilitate a hip). In many cases, home health aide appointments occur during a home care shift.
Each can play a critical role in facilitating aging in place, which over 80% of seniors desire.
At the core of Hallmark’s mission is the simple belief that seniors, regardless of physical or mental limitations, deserve to live fulfilling and independent lives. Our goal is to fulfill this belief for as many seniors as possible by matching professional independent caregivers with each of our clients. To provide additional value to clients, we work with many great partners in Charlotte that we can refer for home health.
Author: Philip Marxen, Owner of Hallmark Homecare of South Charlotte