How Does Home Health Care Differ From Home Care?
Home care and home health care are not the same. Yet, there are people who don’t understand there are clear differences. The key is the term “health.” Home care doesn’t touch upon health care needs, while home health care doesn’t help with taking care of the home. Learn more about the differences between the two.
Home Health Care Uses Nurses for Nursing Care
Home Health Care Broomall, PA: Home Care vs. Home Health Care
Home health care has nurses coming to your parents’ home to providing skilled nursing care. It’s designed to support your parent’s medical recovery outside of the hospital.
Nurses help with IVs and injectable medications. If your mom has Alzheimer’s and becomes so angry that physical abuse happens, medication injections to help stabilize her mood are often required. Skilled nurses can do that without your mom needing to go to the hospital.
They can help with feeding tubes and catheters. If your dad needs a feeding tube following a stroke, nurses can administer the feedings and make sure the feeding tube is properly inserted and hasn’t moved or gotten pulled loose.
With home health care, your parents receive therapy services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy at home instead of in an office miles away. If your dad needs dialysis, that may be an option in his area, too.
Home care services are rarely paid for by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Home health care is recommended by a doctor to provide medical treatments in the comfort of a patient’s home. Health insurance usually covers this kind of service for a limited amount of time.
Because insurance may cover home health care services, a doctor’s referral is needed. Nurses work closely with the doctor to make sure any problems are quickly addressed and that care needs are covered.
Home Care is More About Having Help at Home
While home health care involves skilled care involving maintenance or improvement of health issues, home care is meant to help your parents with daily activities. Home care aides aren’t skilled nurses and cannot administer medications. They can only remind your parents to take medications.
Home care aides do things that skilled nurses do not do. They can drive your parents to a store or medical office. They clean the home and do the laundry. They cook meals and wash dishes after.
Scheduling home care is done by the family and doesn’t need a doctor’s referral or involvement. You arrange services to match your parents’ needs.
Home health care is recommended by a physician. The doctor will talk to your parents and any family members involved in decision-making. You’ll schedule services, but you have the hospital staff to guide you in the research and arrangements. Call a home health care agency as soon as you’ve talked to a doctor and know what services are needed.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Health Care in Broomall, PA please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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