What’s the Difference Between Home Care and Home Health Care?
What’s the Difference Between Home Care and Home Health Care?
When families begin exploring support for their loved ones, one of the first questions we often hear is:
“What’s the difference between home care and home health care?”
It’s an important question—and one we’ve answered countless times for families who come to A Plus Home Health feeling confused, overwhelmed, or even a little guilty about making care decisions. We’ve seen firsthand how clarifying this distinction not only reduces stress but also empowers families to choose the right type of support at the right time.
In this blog, we’ll break down the key differences between home care and home health care, share real-world scenarios from our patient community, and provide trusted resources so you can feel confident in making an informed decision.
The Basics: Defining Home Care vs. Home Health Care
Before diving deeper, let’s establish the foundation:
Home Care
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Non-medical support provided at home.
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Caregivers (sometimes called personal care aides or companions) help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, meal prep, errands, or light housekeeping.
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Typically not covered by Medicare or health insurance; most families pay privately, through long-term care insurance, or with certain Medicaid waivers.
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Goal: Maintain independence, provide companionship, and support activities of daily living.
For a detailed comparison, you can visit A Place for Mom’s guide
Home Health Care
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Medical care delivered at home, usually prescribed by a physician.
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Licensed professionals—registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, or speech-language pathologists—provide treatment and monitoring.
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Covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance if eligibility requirements are met (e.g., skilled nursing need, homebound status).
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Goal: Recover from illness, surgery, or manage chronic medical conditions safely at home.
For official information, you can see Medicare’s coverage overview
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Home Care | Home Health Care |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Care | Non-medical, daily living support | Skilled, medical, therapy-based |
| Who Provides Care | Caregivers, aides, companions | Nurses, therapists, licensed clinicians |
| Where It Happens | Patient’s home | Patient’s home (or sometimes center-based follow-up) |
| Coverage | Mostly private pay; limited Medicaid | Medicare, Medicaid, insurance (if criteria met) |
| Primary Goal | Comfort, independence, safety | Medical recovery, chronic condition management |
Why Families Get Confused
It’s easy to see why families blur the lines between these two services. Both involve care in familiar surroundings, and both are deeply personal. But the level of training, purpose, and funding mechanisms are what truly separate them.
At A Plus Home Health, we’ve sat across from families who assumed that “home health” meant light housekeeping or companionship—or, conversely, thought that hiring a caregiver could substitute for skilled nursing after surgery. Both assumptions can lead to frustration, gaps in care, or unnecessary out-of-pocket costs.
A Real Patient Story
A story that stands out to us is from Mrs. R, an 82-year-old widow living in Las Vegas. She had just undergone knee replacement surgery. Her daughter, balancing her own career and children, assumed hiring a home care aide would be enough.
The aide was wonderful—she helped with meals, laundry, and getting around the house. But within a week, Mrs. R’s incision showed signs of infection. The aide didn’t have the training to recognize or treat it. That’s when her doctor referred her to home health care through A Plus Home Health.
Our skilled nursing team stepped in:
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A nurse visited to provide wound care and antibiotics.
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A physical therapist guided her through safe, progressive exercises.
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Our medical social worker helped the family navigate insurance and coordinate resources.
Within three weeks, Mrs. R was healing well and even returning to her gardening hobby. Her daughter later told us:
“We didn’t know the difference between home care and home health care. If A Plus hadn’t educated us, my mom could have ended up back in the hospital. Now I feel like we finally understand the system—and we know who to trust.”
When Home Care is the Right Fit
While we specialize in center-based and home health services, we always advise families honestly—even if that means recommending a non-medical home care agency.
Home care may be the best option if your loved one:
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Needs companionship or social support.
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Requires help with daily activities but doesn’t have medical needs.
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Is relatively healthy but benefits from oversight and assistance.
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Wants to remain at home but struggles with cooking, errands, or personal care.
For example, we once worked with a gentleman in his 70s with mild dementia. His daughter handled medications, but he needed companionship during the day while she worked. In that case, home care was the safer, more cost-effective fit.
When Home Health Care is Essential
Home health care becomes necessary when a patient requires skilled intervention. Common scenarios include:
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Post-surgical recovery (hip/knee replacement, heart surgery).
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Chronic disease management (diabetes, COPD, heart failure).
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Wound care (post-surgical or pressure ulcers).
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Therapy after a stroke or neurological condition.
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Medication management, IV therapy, or injections.
According to Amedisys, home health care not only improves recovery outcomes but also reduces hospital readmissions—a goal we take very seriously at A Plus Home Health.
The Hidden Layer: Family Relief
Another factor families often overlook is caregiver burnout.
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With home care, loved ones get respite from daily chores and constant supervision.
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With home health care, they gain peace of mind knowing a trained professional is monitoring complex health needs.
We’ve heard many families say that after bringing in the right type of care, they were finally able to stop being just “nurses” or “managers” and go back to being daughters, sons, or spouses. That shift alone can transform family dynamics.
How A Plus Home Health Bridges the Gap
At A Plus Home Health, we recognize that the line between home care and home health care isn’t always neat. Patients often need a blend—social engagement, family support, and skilled medical oversight.
Here’s how we help families navigate:
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Comprehensive Assessments – We begin by reviewing medical history, social needs, and family goals.
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Holistic Care Plans – Nurses, therapists, and social workers collaborate on a tailored plan.
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Family Education – We explain exactly what insurance covers, what it doesn’t, and where outside services may help.
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Community Connections – For needs beyond our scope (like housekeeping or companionship), we connect families to trusted partners.
Our role isn’t just to provide care—it’s to guide families through the maze of options with honesty and compassion.
Final Thoughts
The difference between home care and home health care may seem subtle at first, but understanding it can mean the difference between thriving at home or ending up back in the hospital.
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Home care = non-medical, daily support.
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Home health care = skilled, medical care at home, often covered by insurance.
At A Plus Home Health, we’ve seen how clarifying this distinction empowers families to make confident decisions. More importantly, we’ve witnessed the relief and healing that happens when the right kind of care is in place.
If you’re navigating these choices now, our team is here to help—not just with services, but with the guidance, transparency, and compassion every family deserves.