Home Care vs. Home Health: Which Does My Parent Need?

If you’re trying to figure out what your parent needs, you’ve probably run into two terms that sound almost the same but aren’t: home care and home health. Getting this right matters — it affects who can provide the care, what it costs, and what insurance will and won’t pay for. Here’s the difference, in plain language.

Home Care: everyday, non-medical support

Home care helps with the everyday tasks that become harder with age — not medical treatment. It’s typically provided by a caregiver or home health aide, not a nurse. Common services include:

• Bathing and dressing

• Meal preparation

• Companionship

• Transportation

• Supervision

• Light housekeeping

• Medication reminders

Home Health: skilled, medical care at home

Home health is medical care delivered at home by licensed professionals, usually ordered by a doctor after a hospital stay, surgery, or a new diagnosis. It can include:

• Nursing

• Wound care

• Physical therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Speech therapy

• Other medically necessary services

This is the part that trips up most families: Medicare can cover home health when it’s ordered by a doctor and meets specific medical criteria — but it does not pay for ongoing, non-medical custodial home care (help with bathing, meals, companionship, and similar day-to-day support) on its own. That kind of care is typically paid for privately, through long-term care insurance, or in some cases through Medicaid, depending on eligibility. If you’re not sure which category applies, that’s normal — it’s exactly what our free assessment is designed to help sort out.

Still not sure which one your parent needs? You don’t have to figure it out alone.