Home Health vs. Home Care
As leading home health providers in the state of Texas, It’s a question we hear a lot: why should I choose home health vs. home care? What are the differences? While there are some very important distinctions between the two, know that the best solution might involve components of both. Knowing what falls under each name can help you make the right decision for your situation.
Home Health vs. Home Care
The main difference boils down to who is providing the care. Home health is assistance administered intermittently or periodically by a licensed and skilled health care professional, at the orders of a physician. Home health includes anything from speech, occupational, or physical therapy to wound care and medication management. An easy way to remember this is: health care workers provide home health.
Home care differs in that it is usually non-medical in nature and not administered by a health care professional. This can include anything from daily tasks such as bathing and meal preparation to transportation and companionship.
Both help seniors maintain a sense of independence and stay in their homes rather than moving to nursing facilities.
Home health is a common choice for seniors who are recovering from surgery or an injury and need physical, speech, or occupational therapy, or just monitoring of their condition and medication from a health care professional, typically following the orders of a physician. The primary goal of home health is typically to help a patient recover and regain independence. Home health is also appropriate for seniors whose conditions prevent them from safely traveling to and from their doctor’s office.
Home care is also intended to help seniors live more comfortably on their own, but is for seniors who just need extra help managing their household, or to supplement the home health care that they are already receiving.
Finding the Right Provider
Finding the right in-home care services for seniors can be difficult—given that these caretakers spend lots of time with your elderly loved one and are largely responsible for their well-being, it’s important that you choose a provider that is compassionate and dedicated to improving quality of life for patients and their families.
If you have home health or home care needs in Texas, or just questions about home health vs. home care, get in touch with us at Ultimate Home Health Care. Our professional home health and home care specialists bring empathy and expertise to what can be one of life’s most difficult decisions.
