Home care and home health care are similar sounding terms, but are they the same? The difference is quite simple:
Home health care provides medical services to older and infirm individuals who wish to remain in their homes, while home care assists with daily living needs. Both types of services are available from Angel Home Healthcare Services. Here is how to determine what you or your loved one needs.
What Qualifies as Home Health Care?
Home health care is geared toward those with chronic health conditions or who are recovering from illness or surgery. Many patients transition to home health care after a stay in a hospital or rehabilitation center instead of going to a skilled nursing facility.
Others select it after diagnosis of a serious medical condition. Although home health care can be part of a long-term care plan, it’s a temporary step with recovery and independence as the primary goals for some.
Licensed medical professionals provide clinical care and supervision. This includes personnel like registered or practical nurses and occupational and physical therapists. Doctors must prescribe home health care services, which can include the following:
- Wound Care
- Respiratory Care
- Medical Testing
- Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy
- Administer Prescriptions or Injections
- Patient and Caregiver Education
Who Can Benefit From Home Health Care?
Not all seniors require home health care. Specific individuals can benefit greatly from it, including those who need assistance with recent injuries or are prone to falls, serious chronic pain conditions, those in fragile health who cannot travel, and seniors with overall functional decline who benefit from physical therapy or occupational therapy to maintain independence.
How is Home Care Different?
Some services overlap between home health care and home care, but the overlap is usually minor.
A skilled professional sometimes provides minimal help with bathroom needs or dressing. Similarly, a home care worker can provide medication reminders and monitor for adverse reactions but cannot directly administer medications.
Home aides are trained to understand the nuances of senior care so they can report changes to loved ones or medical professionals.
Companionship services provide emotional support with a home health aide, such as chatting, reading aloud, and doing enjoyable activities. More often, an aide will perform many different household tasks.
Home health aides can provide:
- Basic personal care like bathing, dressing, and eating
- Household tasks like light cleaning and laundry
- Meal preparation and grocery shopping
- Transportation to appointments
- Help with paperwork and financial management
Who Can Benefit From Home Care?
A home aide can provide much-needed help for seniors aging in place who are lonely, experiencing difficulty doing daily tasks, or both.
Consider hiring an aide if your loved one needs help with bathing or toileting. Home health aides also support your loved one with occasional transportation when you cannot, help with household chores and reduce loneliness and isolation.
How Frequent are Services?
The frequency of services provided by a medical professional or a home health care aide depends on each patient’s specific needs. They may be as little as one or two days weekly for a few hours to as much as full-time care. Families often find that a combination of home health care and home care services benefits the loved one and their family.
How Do We Decide What is Right for Our Situation?
Based on your loved one’s personal situation, your doctor will be able to recommend what type of care would be appropriate. Angel Home Healthcare Services can also help you find home health services that will benefit your loved one’s emotional and physical health in the long term.
Make The Right Choice, With Angel Home Healthcare Services
Instead of wondering what to do or making a home health care decision that doesn’t benefit your loved one, reach out to Angel Home Healthcare Services professionals. We offer services that range between long-term care, home health aides, and various therapies. Contact us today to learn more about home health care possibilities in Dallas. Our staff will happily set up an appointment for your free in-home assessment.