Home Care vs. Home Health Care

"Home care" and "home health care" sound similar, and the terms get used interchangeably fairly often, but they refer to two different kinds of services with different purposes, different providers, and different rules around who pays for them. Knowing which one you're looking at, or whether you need both, can save some confusion when you're trying to figure out what your loved one actually needs.

What Home Care Is

Home care, sometimes called non-medical or personal care, covers help with the everyday tasks of living at home: bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation, companionship, and supervision. It doesn't require a physician's order, and it isn't tied to recovering from a specific medical event. Families typically bring in home care because a loved one needs ongoing, ordinary support to stay safe and comfortable at home, not because a doctor prescribed it.

This is the kind of care Silver Linings Agency provides. See our home care services for the specific kinds of support we offer.

What Home Health Care Is

Home health care is a medical service, ordered by a physician, for a specific skilled need such as nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. It's typically short-term and tied to a particular condition, like recovering from surgery, an illness, or a hospital stay. Home health visits are provided by licensed clinical staff, such as registered nurses or therapists, and are usually part-time rather than ongoing daily support.

The Key Differences

• Who orders it: Home health care requires a physician's order. Home care doesn't.
• What it covers: Home health care addresses a specific skilled, medical need. Home care covers everyday personal and household support.
• How long it lasts: Home health care is usually time-limited, tied to recovery from a specific event. Home care can continue for as long as it's needed, sometimes for years.
• Who provides it: Home health care is delivered by licensed clinical staff. Home care is delivered by trained caregivers, such as our PSS and CNA certified staff.
• How it's paid for: Home health care is often covered by Medicare when it meets Medicare's criteria. Home care is typically private pay, MaineCare, long-term care insurance, or veterans benefits. See our guide to paying for home care in Maine for the specifics.

Can You Have Both at Once?

Yes, and it's common. If your loved one is receiving Medicare-covered home health care after a hospital stay or surgery, our caregivers can provide the everyday personal support that home health doesn't cover, like help with bathing, meals, and household tasks, alongside it. The two services are meant to complement each other, not replace one another.

Which One Does Silver Linings Agency Provide?

We provide home care, the non-medical, personal support side of this. We're not a home health agency, and we don't provide skilled nursing or therapy visits. If your loved one needs skilled home health services, we're glad to work alongside whichever home health agency or provider is already involved.