Home Care and Home HealthWhats the Difference?While both Home Care and Home Health provide services in the home aimed at helping patients achieve health and independence, knowing the difference between them can help you quickly and effectively navigate care needs in a family crisis. Home Health is a clinical or skilled care model that provides medical care by licensed healthcare workers, like nurses, physical therapists, and social workers. Home Health requires a doctors order, and patients must meet certain eligibility criteria to receive it. Its usually prescribed when a patient is discharged from the hospital or rehab facility and sent home but needs additional medical attention to fully rehabilitate. Home Health services help with things like wound care, speech therapy, physical or occupation therapy, IV Therapy and is overseen by a registered nurse. Visits are a few hours a week and are short, generally an hour or less depending on the patients needs. It is usually paid for by private insurance, or Medicare - for those over 65 years of age. It typically lasts a few weeks but can be extended if the ordering physician deems it necessary. Home Care provides non-clinical or non-medical care by professional caregivers, usually CNAs (Certified Nurses Aide) or Home Health Aides. These aides are professionally trained in assisting with ADLs, or Activities of Daily Living. The six most common ADLs in home care are: Mobility, Bathing, Toileting, Continence Mgmt., Dressing and Feeding. They also assist with IADLs or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living like light housekeeping, laundry, dishes, and medication reminders. Full-Service Home Care agencies may carry an additional insurance policy that allows their caregivers to run errands or provide transportation assistance for things like doctors appointments, groceries, and other needs outside of the home.  Home Care does not require a doctors order and is usually arranged privately and paid for out of pocket, however, depending on the agency you work with, some will accept Long Term Care Insurance, Veteran Benefits or Medicaid as a form of payment. Unlike Home Health, Home Care is arranged for longer periods of time. Most agencies have minimums and will visit anywhere for a few hours a day, up to around-the-clock 24/7 care. In Home Care, its not uncommon for care to continue for months or even years - as long as the patient requires someone to be with them so that they can remain safe at home, they will provide services for them. Often times, Home Care and Home Health will be providing services at the same time having home health manage the medical needs, while home care stays with the patient to manage their personal care needs and keep them safe. When evaluating options for either Home Health or Home Care, the Senior Blue Book provides an index of local agencies in your area, as well as a search tool online where you can review what services they provide, read customer reviews, and contact them directly to ask questions or request an in-home consultation.   This article was submitted by Michael Brainerd, an independent writer and owner of two FirstLight Home Care Agencies in Kansas and Missouri. He can be reached at 913-203-7444 or emailed at mbrainerd@firstlighthomecare.com.