The two names sound almost the same, and families mix them up all the time. But they describe two different kinds of help, from different kinds of provider, and they are usually paid for in different ways.
Knowing the difference helps you ask for the right thing, so your loved one gets the help they actually need and you don’t pay for care they don’t.
What home care is
Home care, sometimes called non-medical home care or in-home care, is help with everyday life. A trained caregiver comes to the home to help with the tasks that have become hard to manage alone, such as:
- Bathing, dressing, grooming and using the bathroom
- Meals, drinks and medication reminders
- Moving around the home safely, to lower the risk of falls
- Light housekeeping, laundry and errands
- Companionship, conversation and the things they enjoy
It can be a few hours a week, a daily visit or live-in care. No doctor’s order is needed. The family, or the person themselves, decides what help they want. Our guide to personal care at home explains what a typical visit looks like.
What home health care is
Home health care is skilled medical care given at home by licensed clinicians such as nurses and therapists. It is usually short-term, after an illness, injury or hospital stay, and it follows a plan of care ordered by a doctor.
- Skilled nursing, such as wound care, injections or monitoring a health condition
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy
- Short visits, often a few times a week
- It ends when the person has recovered or reached their goals
How Pennsylvania licenses each one
In Pennsylvania, the Department of Health licenses both, under separate rules. Home care agencies and home care registries provide non-skilled services and are licensed under Chapter 611 of the state’s health regulations. Home health agencies provide skilled services and are licensed under Chapter 601.
Who usually pays
Medicare can cover part-time home health care for people who are homebound and whose doctor orders it. Medicare usually does not pay for non-medical home care when that is the only help someone needs.
Home care is usually paid for privately, or through long-term care insurance, VA benefits or Pennsylvania Medicaid programs for people who qualify. Our guide on how to pay for home care in Pennsylvania explains each option.
When families use both
The two often work side by side. After a hospital stay, a nurse or therapist might visit a few times a week, while a home care caregiver helps every day with showering, meals and getting around. When the home health visits end, home care can carry on for as long as it is needed.
“Home health care treats the condition. Home care helps with the rest of the day.”
Which one does your loved one need?
- 1Do they need medical treatment, like wound care, injections or therapy? Ask their doctor about home health care.
- 2Do they need help with daily tasks, like bathing, meals or getting around? That is what home care is for.
- 3Are they coming home from the hospital? They may need both for a while.
- 4Not sure? A free home assessment can help you work it out.
- Home care is non-medical help with daily life. Home health care is skilled medical care ordered by a doctor.
- In Pennsylvania, each is licensed separately by the Department of Health.
- Medicare may cover home health care, but usually not non-medical home care on its own.
- Many families use both, especially in the weeks after a hospital stay.
This article is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Program rules and eligibility change over time, so please check the current details with the program or a qualified advisor.
