Home care is a service that is offered in the home or a senior living setting. The services include but are not limited to, housekeeping, home assistance, meal preparation, getting dressed, taking a shower or bath, and help with medications. The services extend to high levels of professional medical care by visiting physicians, therapists, nurses, and case managers.

The main goal of the in-home care is to provide the needed care but to retain their independence in their current living situation. Home care is generally arranged by a private duty caretaker or service through a managed license agency. The services are flexible being either long-term or short-term services. The hours of service vary depending on the care that is needed as well.

Home health care is more expensive and regulated than home care. Home health care requires a specific and special license with procedures and policies to meet the needs of the individuals.

Many home health care agencies specialize in the medically fragile or chronically ill patients. They tend to contract to serve Medicare patients who are recuperating from a recent hospital stay or procedure. Due to the shorter hospital stays, home health care agencies are accepting the private pay and long-term care insurance based payments. The providers of the services are registered nurses that trains, assesses, monitors, and ensures proper treatment of their clients.

Home care is a specific license but the majority of the care is not medically oriented consisting of other services compared to the home health care services. Home care specialize in providing hands-on care to less chronically ill patients so they tend to serve clients for a longer period of time compared to home health care agencies. Since most people prefer to remain in their homes as long as possible, they so this with the services of home health care professionals.

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