What is "non-medical" home care?
Non-medical home care is the type of home care most often sought-after post-hospitalization or post-surgery or for elderly who need assistance to remain at home and is most often private pay or covered by long term care insurance. Caregivers working in home care help with indispensable services like housekeeping, shopping, cooking and escorted transportation to appointments. They also help with basic personal care such as bathing and grooming and assist with mobility and prevention of accidents and provide wanted companionship, important medication reminders, and safety supervision for loved ones with Alzheimer's or dementia. Home care services can be full-time, part-time, intermittently, or even up to 24 hours a day/7 days a week. These non-medical, custodial services accommodate declining abilities and help seniors avoid institutional care so that they may age in place in the comfort of their own home.
When it comes to non-medical home care, certified nursing assistants and home health aides have the most training to perform all encompassing services (including personal care). However, companions and homemakers are more than qualified to supervise, prepare meals, run errands, and do a variety of other "hands-off" tasks. A registered nurse typically will do an initial home visit to come up with a care plan and help assess the most appropriate level of care needed.
What is "skilled" home health care?
Skilled home health care is essentially intended for short-term rehabilitation following a stay in the hospital or nursing home and is covered by Medicare or Medicaid. For example, a physician may order skilled nursing after a hospitalization or bout of pneumonia or they may order physical therapy in the home following a hip or knee surgery. Skilled care is provided by a nurse (RN or LPN), physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT), or speech therapist (ST). Strict rules are imposed on home health care agencies by Medicare that regulate a patient’s eligibility for coverage. Without exception, skilled services are provided only intermittently and never when full time or continuous care is needed. Skilled home health care must be under a plan of care ordered by a physician and often hastens hospital discharges by facilitating the return home and helps to prevent re-admissions to the hospital.