Comparing senior care and home health care

Senior care and home health care are the two primary types of home care services for seniors. Which you use depends on your parents' needs. 

 

Senior care - also known as home care, custodial care, non-medical senior care or personal care - involves individualized assistance with day-to-day living tasks for older people living at home. Home health care also refers to services provided to older people living at home. But home health care services require a licensed professional - for instance, a physical, respiratory or occupational therapist or registered nurse - and a physician's prescription.

 

Senior care services make it very clear that they are not in the home health care business. Instead, they offer services such as companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, bathing assistance, light housework, transportation, errands, grocery shopping, pharmacy pick-ups, arranging doctor appointments and mailing bills and letters.

 

You'll usually find senior care services listed in the phone book under "Home Care." Some are franchises - such as Home Instead Senior Care, Wisdom Keepers, Comfort Care, Visiting Angels and Comfort Keepers - while others are independently owned. Some senior care companies, such as Home Instead Senior Care, offer its caregivers advanced training on how to care for people with Alzheimer's.

 

Prices for senior care range from $18 to $25 per hour and there is usually a minimum service requirement of at least three or four hours per day. Services can be arranged for as many as 24 hours per day for a short or long term, including weekends and holidays. This can be especially helpful when families need a break from daily caregiving.

 

Because senior care services are not medical care, they are not covered by Medicare. If the person requiring care has long-term care insurance, home health care services may be covered. Call the insurance provider to find out.

Home Health Care services can involve long-term or temporary home health care, as in the case of someone recovering from surgery or other health issues. Home health care agencies will send a licensed professional to assess needs and develop a complete care plan. 

 

Home health care agencies employ the healthcare professionals sent to the home and must be licensed by the state. Many seek additional accreditation to assure consumers that they have met quality standards. Two common accreditations are Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) and The Joint Commission (TJC).

 

The average hourly rate for a licensed home health aide is $19 per hour and ranges from $12–$38 per hour, depending on where in the country the services are offered. Medicare does not cover all forms of home health care, so be sure when you interview an agency to ask whether they are certified by Medicare and what services are covered given your circumstances. Long-term care insurance and Medigap plans may also cover some costs. Check with the insurance providers to find out.