The Difference Between Home Health Care and In-Home Care

There is often some confusion between home health care and in-home care. Home health care is provided by a medical professional, usually a nurse, and things like occupational therapy, wound care, injections, and other medical treatments can be involved. However, in-home care is a non-medical type of care. While this might make it sound like it is a lot less important, in fact, more people benefit from this second type of care than they do the first. Both types of care are equally necessary, and either can be applicable to your elderly loved one depending on what their state of health is.

 

Non-medical in-home care does not cover medical help within the home, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t serve a great use. In-home caregivers cover a wide range of services and help elderly individuals get through the day without putting them at risk of injury or overextending themselves. For example, a professional caregiver can assist with the preparation of meals, they can help with bathing and grooming, and they can help with small chores around the house, like laundry or cleaning up dishes. These are all things that a senior citizen might find to be difficult and stressful, and having a capable caregiver in the house to help with these things drastically reduces the likelihood of a fall or other injury. It also ensure that they get through the day with proper food, drink, and self-care tasks accomplished.

 

Home health care and in-home care both serve important functions, but have big differences.

 

There is a definite time and need for home health care. If you have an older loved one that has intensive medical needs and has great difficulty leaving the house, then home health care might be the perfect solution for them. This is often the case when someone is recovering from surgery or an injury. When someone is in an advanced stage of an illness, home health care can also be beneficial. And although home health care and in-home care are two very different things, there is often an overlap in these needs. Having a caregiver that is trained in both can be helpful.

 

It is very important to remember that home health care is often not covered by Medicare, and when it is covered, it is only done on a limited basis. There are many conditions that need to be met, and it is very rarely a long term thing. If paying for this is something that concerns you, we urge you to speak to a Medicare specialist so that they can more fully explain to you what types of things are covered by insurance, and what are not. They will also be able to explain to you the steps that need to be taken as far as the coverage of extra services goes. Non-medical care is usually not covered by Medicare, either.

 

In the meantime, finding the perfect type of care for your older parent and their needs is possible, and there are many options out there designed to make care not only more affordable, but more personal and compassionate, too. If you have further questions about how in-home care can benefit your family, contact us at Paradise In-Home Care today.

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