Home care vs. home health in Delaware
Short answer
Home care helps with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, meals, and companionship. Home health provides medical visits from nurses or therapists under a doctor’s order. Some Delaware families use both: medical visits for treatment and a caregiver for help between visits. The right choice depends on the tasks your loved one needs help with.
Last updated · Reviewed by Reliable Aid care team
"Home care" and "home health" sound almost the same, and families mix them up all the time. The difference matters, because it changes who comes to the house, what they do, and who pays. Here's the short version, and how to tell which one your loved one needs.
The short answer
Home health is medical care at home. A doctor orders it, and licensed nurses or therapists provide it: wound care, injections, physical therapy, and similar treatment. It's usually short-term, after a hospital stay or a change in health.
Home care is help with daily life. A caregiver helps with bathing, dressing, meals, getting around the house, medication reminders, and company. It can last as long as your loved one needs it. That's what Reliable Aid provides.
Many families use both at the same time.
Side by side
| Home care | Home health | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Help with daily living | Medical care at home |
| Who provides it | Caregivers, aides, CNAs | Nurses and therapists, sometimes with an aide |
| Needs a doctor's order | No | Yes |
| How long | As long as it's needed | Usually a set number of visits |
| Who usually pays | Delaware Medicaid long-term care, for people who qualify | Medicare or health insurance, when coverage rules are met |
Signs your loved one needs home care
- They're struggling with bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom
- Meals are getting skipped
- They're unsteady on their feet
- They're alone much of the day and it's showing
- A family caregiver is worn out and needs a break
Signs they need home health
- A doctor said they need nursing or therapy at home
- They have a wound, IV, or new medication that needs a nurse
- They're recovering from surgery and need physical or occupational therapy
If that's the case, ask the doctor or hospital for a home health referral.
Using both together
After a hospital stay, a home health nurse or therapist might visit a few times a week. Between those visits, someone still has to help with showers, meals, and getting around. That's where home care comes in. We work around home health visits so your loved one has help for the rest of the day. See home care after a hospital stay.
Does Medicare pay for either?
Medicare can pay for home health when a doctor orders it, the person is homebound, and they need skilled nursing or therapy. A home health aide may help with bathing while that skilled care is in place. Medicare generally doesn't pay for home care on its own. In Delaware, Medicaid long-term care can cover home care for people who qualify. Learn how Medicaid home care works.
Talk it through
Not sure which you need? Call us at (302) 689-3240. We'll help you sort it out, even if the answer is that you need home health first. You can also find our Dover office.
Questions
Can a family use both kinds of care?
Yes. A caregiver can help with daily tasks between scheduled home health visits.