Understanding the Differences Between Home Health and Home Care

Introduction

• Home health is defined as skilled medical care that is provided in a person's home by professionals to assist in managing illness, recovery from injury, or improve overall health, focusing on short-term needs. Whereas home care is defined as non-medical, or skilled nursing services provided to individuals in their own homes, helping them live safely and independently.

  
  

• Learning the differences between home health and home care will allow you to evaluate what you need assistance with and also give more insight into what services to look for.

• We will be taking a look at the detailed differences that define home health and home care, evaluating the individual benefits and provide insight on how to choose the services best for you.

  
  

Understanding Home Health

Home health focuses on the medical and recovery side of home health care. Home health services include:

• Skilled Nursing (wound care, injections)

• Physical, occupational and speech therapy

• Medication management

Home health typically requires a doctors order and is usually due to injury or illness. In addition, this is often short term care that is focused on recovery.

Understanding Home Care

Home care focuses on the assistance with daily living side of home health care. Typically those who have trouble moving and completing tasks around the home require the service of home care. Home care services include:

• Bathing

• Dressing

• Grooming

• Meal prep

• Light housekeeping

• Errands

• Companionship

Typically no doctor's order is needed, anyone can receive home care. Home care can be long term or definite, focusing on maintaining independence.

Benefits of Home Health

• Improved Recovery and Health Outcomes: Patients often recover faster and with fewer complications in their familiar, comfortable home environment. It also reduces the risk of infections associated with hospital stays.

• Personalized One-on-One Care: Care plans are tailored to individual needs, allowing for focused attention from nurses, therapists, and aides that is often unavailable in facility settings.

• Increased Independence and Safety: Services help patients maintain their daily routines and independence, while home safety assessments and caregiver support reduce the risk of falls and accidents.

• Reduced Hospitalizations: Consistent monitoring by professionals helps prevent emergency situations, leading to fewer hospital readmissions.

• Medication Management: Professionals help manage complex medication schedules, reducing the high rate of adverse drug events.

• Convenience and Comfort: Eliminates the stress of transportation to appointments and allows for familiar routines, which can boost mental health.

  
  

Benefits of Home Care

• Personalized Care and Independence: Services are tailored to individual needs, allowing patients to maintain their daily routines, privacy, and dignity in familiar surroundings.

• Safety and Prevention: Home health professionals conduct home assessments to reduce fall risks and manage medication schedules to prevent dangerous drug reactions.

• Relief for Family Caregivers: Home care reduces the physical and emotional burden on family members, providing them with peace of mind.

• Companionship: Caregivers offer companionship that can help reduce loneliness.

  
  

How to Choose Between Home Health and Home Care

• Medical needs:

  Home Health - Requires doctors referral for skilled nursing, physical therapy or wound care

  Home Care - Non-medical, offering companionship, mobility assistance, and daily living needs.

• Duration and frequency:

  Home Health - Typically short-term, intermittent visits focusing on recovery after a hospital visit or injury

  Home Care - Can be long-term, ranging from a few hours a week to 24-hour care.

• Goal of care:

Home Health - Rehabilitation and, specifically, improvement of health conditions.

Home Care - Maintaining independence, safety, and quality of life at home.

• What to choose:

Home Health - Following surgery (e.g., knee replacement), for wound care, or management of a new, complex condition.

Home Care - For seniors with dementia or frailties who need help with daily tasks but do not require daily nurse interventions.

Often, individuals use both simultaneously—home health for skilled medical needs, and home care for daily supervision and assistance.

Conclusion

Home health and home care, although similar in nature, are distinct from one another. Home health focuses on managing the medical side of home health care, while home care is assistance with daily living. Home health ensures that clients health needs are taken care of while providing a compassionate recovery environment, while home care assists with maintenance of independence day to day. Choosing the right care is up to individual needs and goals. Before starting caregiving services a care plan is made to decide if one or both is right for you.