Home care and home health: understand the difference

What it is and who commonly uses it

Home care can support people who want to remain at home and need help with routines, household tasks, transportation, supervision, or personal care. Services may come from an agency, an independent worker, or a publicly funded program.

Home health is a separate clinical service that may include skilled nursing or therapy under a care plan. A professional can help clarify the type of support needed; an agency should confirm which tasks its workers are allowed and trained to perform.

What may be included

• Companionship and supervision
• Meal preparation and light housekeeping
• Help with bathing, dressing, mobility, or toileting when offered
• Shopping, errands, or transportation
• Reminders and routine support
• Respite for an unpaid family caregiver

What may not be included

• Skilled nursing, therapy, or medical treatment unless separately licensed and arranged
• Twenty-four-hour coverage under a standard visit schedule
• Housing, meals beyond visit tasks, or major home maintenance
• Emergency response or transportation unless specifically contracted
• Every task requested by the household if state rules or the service agreement limits it

How regulation works

State rules for non-medical home-care agencies and individual workers vary. Requirements may address agency licensing, worker background checks, training, supervision, task limits, or consumer-directed employment.

Medicare-certified home health agencies follow separate federal participation requirements, and Medicare coverage applies only when its eligibility and service rules are met. Medicaid home- and community-based services differ by state program and eligibility rules.

Questions to ask

• Is the worker employed by the agency, contracted, or hired directly by the family?
• What screening, training, supervision, and insurance apply?
• Which personal-care and medication-related tasks may workers perform?
• How are schedules, late visits, call-outs, and replacement workers handled?
• Who can be contacted after hours or when a safety concern arises?
• How are changes in needs communicated and documented?
• What are the minimum visit, cancellation, overtime, and travel rules?

Pricing components to understand

• Hourly, visit, overnight, or live-in rate structure
• Minimum visit length or weekly commitment
• Different rates for weekends, holidays, nights, or higher-support tasks
• Assessment, care-coordination, transportation, or mileage fees
• Cancellation and schedule-change charges
• Payroll, tax, insurance, or registry responsibilities when hiring directly

What LookupCare is building toward

LookupCare is building clearer education about care categories, pricing components, and oversight questions while keeping families in control of when they are ready to contact a provider.