Defining Home Care
What is Home Care?
Defining Non-medical Home Care Services
When a person needs care in the home on a short- or long-term basis, and it cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends, they often need the services of a non-medical home care company. Also known as private duty care or custodial care, non-medical home care encompasses a full spectrum of personal care, homemaking and companionship services that are provided to an elderly or disabled person wherever they call home.
Griswold Home Care’s professional caregivers assist withActivities of Daily Living such as eating,bathing, personal hygiene, dressing and toileting; as well as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living such as meal preparation, light housecleaning, laundry and running errands. Our talented team of caregivers are certified and/or licensed as a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), Home Health Aide (HHA) or Personal Care Assistant (PCA).
In addition to assistance with daily activities, caregivers also provide companionship and mental stimulation by engaging their clients in conversation and other interests. As an additional set of “eyes and ears” for families, they help to ensure their client’s safety by recognizing and alerting family members to potential signs of declining health and dangerous falls.
This list of services might help you decide if non-medical home care is what’s needed by you or your loved one:
Personal Care
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Toileting
- Oral care
- Hair and nail care
- Grooming/personal hygiene
- Changing adult briefs
- Repositioning if bed-bound
- Transfer assistance
- Fall prevention
Homemaking
- Light housekeeping
- Laundry
- Bedmaking/linen changes
- Grocery shopping
- Meal planning/preparation
Companionship
- Mental stimulation
- Socialization
- Exercise
- Prompting and reminders
- Safety oversight
- Transportation/accompaniment to events, appointments and errands
Is Home Care the same as Home Health?
‘Home Care’ and ‘Home Health’ sound similar and are often used interchangeably. Both have a primary goal of helping people stay as independent as possible at home but there are some important differences.
Home Health refers to clinical or skilled care provided at home to treat a chronic health condition or to help with recovery from illness, injury or surgery. Care is provided by trained clinicians such as physicians, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists. Home Health visits usually last 1-2 hours and occur 1-3 times per week over a 60-day period.
Home Care helps with the daily activities that allow people to stay safe and independent at home to include bathing, dressing, grooming, cooking, cleaning and transportation. Like Home Health, Home Care is often used by older adults who have one or more chronic illnesses, a disability or are recovering from surgery but Home Care does not include the skilled nursing care and therapy provided by Home Health.
The services also differ when it comes to Eligibility and Payment. Home Care, typically not covered by health insurance, is paid for out of pocket and therefore has no eligibility requirements. In some cases, Medicaid or long-term care insurance will cover the cost of Home Care. Home Health is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans but requires a doctor’s order and certification that the individual is homebound.
To add a bit of confusion to the mix,
Although primarily medical in nature, Home Health does include assistance with bathing, grooming and dressing (tasks that are also provided by Home Care). The difference lies in the frequency and length of time: Home Health will help with these tasks intermittently for a defined period until the individual can safely do them on their own or arrange for a Home Care aide to assist.
Powerful Partnership
Despite the differences between Home Care and Home Health, together they can make for a powerful team. Someone recovering from a major health event may need support with daily activities (Home Care) as well as specialized therapy or nursing-level services (Home Health) to continue their recovery.
Caregivers with Griswold Home Care ensure that their client gets the most out of their Home Health services by:
- Reinforcing the exercise regimen established by the physical therapist
- Practicing self-care skills under the direction of an occupational therapist
- Providing safety and supervision for their client as they work toward their highest possible level of independence
- Providing escort and transportation to follow up doctor appointments
- Facilitating medication compliance by providing medication reminders
- Maintaining ongoing communication between the Griswold Nursing Director and Home Health staff
Still unsure whether Home Care is the right choice for you? You’re in good company! Every day we talk with people who want a better understanding of how it works, and if it’s the “right” option for them. We are great listeners and happy to help you determine what services are most appropriate for you.