Know The Difference Between Home Care and Home Health Care

When you talk about home health services, people generally tend to use the two terms home care and home health care considering as the same thing. Both types of care are focused at providing customized comfort and attention to your beloved in their home. However, there is a lot of difference between the two. Let us explore the two in great detail.

What Is Home Care?

Home care services offer help and companionship to those in need so that they can perform essential daily activities without much distress. These services are not backed by doctor’s prescription and generally paid by the recipient himself. However, those who have a health insurance policy that covers home care services can use it for the payment. Home care can be given for about a few hours to 24 hours.  

Beneficiaries of Home Care: -

Home care is extremely beneficial for those who seniors who require help in performing daily activities such as bathing and using wash room. Your loved ones might be living at a distant place and you might not be there to accompany them or help them with cooking and other household chores. Those old citizens who are active enough to perform these functions but cannot move to and fro easily for medical appointments also benefit from home care.

What Is Home Health Care?

Home health care requires a written order from doctor to aid someone recover medically. This is a short-term care program. This service is paid for by the Medicaid, which is a state governed program to pay for the medical expenses. The length of service is determined by the doctor which is not more than 8 hours a day.

Beneficiaries of Home Health Care: -

Home health care service is for those elderly patients who have recently discharged from hospital, nursing facility or a rehab and are in the recovery phase. Those who need to be monitored after having medicines changed also take home health care service. Aged people who have difficulty in going for doctor visits also make these services.

Services Comparison of the Two Types Of Care: -

Home care services help the elderly and dependent people to carry on the day-to-day activities with help which otherwise they might not be able to do successfully. This can lead to grave consequences such as depression, malnourishment and other physical and mental problems. Most importantly, they get companionship as they get someone to talk to, someone with whom they can play games, go for a walk, cook food and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Caregiver keeps a track of medicines and its stocks as they elderly can barely remember such things. General housekeeping, grocery, basic hygiene maintenance and using rest room becomes manageable with the help of a caregiver.

On the other hand, when a person has had a surgery or have stayed at hospital for a period of time and now is recovering at home health care services Tennessee are useful. These are recommended by a professional such as a doctor or a physician. The services offered are also of professional nature that cannot be performed by an amateur. These include wound care, catheter administration, IV care, physical therapy and many other services depending on the case. These services are more clinical compared to home care services.

Usually people combine both the kinds of services so that their beloveds’ health needs are met to the fullest.