Are you unclear about the difference between home care and home health care? Well, you are not alone. Many people do not realize that although these two services sound the same, they could not be any more different. How are home health care services and home care services different? The main difference between these two commonly confused terms is that home health care is often prescribed and involves only the administration of medical care by a nurse or doctor. On the other hand, home care services involve having someone help the individual with everything except their medical care and needs. However, that is not to say that a home care professional can pick up prescriptions or set up reminders for the individual to take their medication. What is typically involved in home health care? Aside from having a doctor or nurse to provide the medical care, occupational and physical therapists as well as other certified medical professionals are the ones that provide home health care services. Following is a list of the medical services that a home health care service provides:
  • The administration and/or injection of medicine and prescriptions.
  • Wound care.
  • Physical therapy.
  • Pain management.
  • Monitoring of the individual’s daily health.
What does a home care service do? In a nutshell, a home care service like us at By Your Side Home Care does everything to help an individual function except provide medical care. Some of the things you can expect from a home care service professional includes but is certainly not limited to:
  • Helping the individual perform daily tasks such as getting out of bed and taking a shower or bath.
  • Aiding the individual in performing cleaning duties and cooking meals.
  • Helping the individual run errands such as picking up prescriptions or grocery shopping.
  Last but not least, a home care service can also aid those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia by helping them to remember certain events. Lastly, they can also escort them to a friend’s or family member’s social event. Can a home care service and home health care service work together? At By Your Side Home Care, many of our clients require both medical care and a home care service. Therefore, there is no reason these two service offerings should come into any direct conflict. In fact, having a home care professional on hand at the time the home health care provider is there comes with many benefits. For example, those who are in the middle of a physical therapy session may take comfort in the encouragement a home care provider can offer to complete the therapy session. In what situation might I need both a home care service and home health care service? If you or a loved one has just had an extended hospital stay and require additional medical treatment/care at home as well as help with everyday activities. Also, many elderly individuals require both medical care and home care services. At By Your Side Home Care, we are a home care service company. If you would like to see our list of home care services, please feel free to visit our Care Options page.