As seniors age, they often need additional support to manage their health and daily routines. For many, utilizing home health and home care can provide a balanced approach, addressing medical care and daily living assistance. These services can work hand-in-hand to enhance seniors’ quality of life and support their independence.
However, “home health” and “home care” are often used interchangeably, though they provide different types of support. Understanding these differences can help families make informed decisions about the best care plan for their loved ones. Here’s a closer look at each service and how they can work together.
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health care services are clinical, medically necessary services provided by licensed professionals, such as nurses or physical therapists, in the home. These services help older adults manage chronic medical conditions, recover from illnesses, or maintain their health. Home health care agencies also support seniors after they are discharged from the hospital.
Home health services may include:
- Medication administration and management
- Wound care
- Vital sign monitoring
- Physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Medical tests or assessments
- Other skilled nursing care
For example, consider Mary, a senior with diabetes and mobility issues. Mary has home health nurses who visit weekly to check her blood sugar levels, monitor her blood pressure, and assess her overall health. With regular visits, Mary’s health is carefully monitored, and any changes are quickly addressed. The home health aides keep her doctor updated and ensure that her care plan remains effective.
While home health is invaluable, it typically focuses on medical tasks and doesn’t provide support for everyday activities that many seniors still need. That’s where home care comes in.
What Is Home Care?
Home care (or private-duty care) provides non-medical assistance, which can be just as crucial for a senior’s well-being. Home care is designed to support the daily tasks that help seniors live independently and comfortably.
Services offered by home care agencies may include:
- Personal care services, like assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming
- Meal preparation and feeding assistance
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Transportation and errands
- Companionship and socialization
For Mary, her caregiver provides daily support, helping with tasks like cooking balanced meals, light housekeeping, and assisting her with personal hygiene. The caregiver also keeps her company and accompanies her on short walks, which not only helps with her physical health but also boosts her spirits. While her home health nurse focuses on medical care, Mary’s caregiver ensures her home remains a safe and welcoming environment.
How Home Health and Home Care Work Together
For many seniors, the combination of home health and home care creates a well-rounded care plan that addresses their unique needs. Home health professionals ensure medical conditions are monitored and managed, while home care providers assist with everyday tasks, making life more manageable and enjoyable. This coordinated care for seniors allows them to maintain a sense of independence while ensuring their health and safety.
When home care and home health agencies work together, they can better adapt to a senior’s changing needs. For instance, if Mary’s doctor recommends physical therapy, her caregiver can remind her to complete her exercises on days when the physical therapist isn’t scheduled. These two types of care create a seamless, supportive experience for seniors and their families.
How Caring Bridges the Gap with Coordinated Care
At Caring Senior Service, we believe in the power of coordinated care. Our Tendio software enables seamless communication between home health professionals, caregivers, seniors, and their families. This ensures that the entire care team has access to real-time updates, helping to provide the best support possible.
Our software keeps family members informed about a health change and keeps caregivers up to date about new instructions from a senior’s medical team. Ultimately, our care coordination fosters collaboration and ensures nothing gets overlooked.
If you’re considering how home care and home health can benefit your loved one, reach out to your local Caring Senior Service office to learn more. Our team is here to answer questions and help develop a care plan that fits your family’s needs.
ow Home Health Can Help
After discharge there are many duties, such as caring for their wounds, managing medications, safely traversing the home to use the restroom and return to bed can be overwhelming, and this is in addition to managing a diet to facilitate healing, trips to the store, dealing with pain, drowsiness, and potential side effects from new medications.
This is where home health and private duty can team up and step in. With effective interception prior to discharge from the hospital, home health and private-duty care can be coordinated to bridge the gap.
Home health agencies can provide the medical care that seniors need after being discharged from the hospital. They can administer medications, take blood pressure, and perform other medical duties as needed to monitor a senior’s health. However, home health aides can’t be in the home 24/7.
How Private-Duty Caregivers Can Help
Private-duty caregivers can visit on days opposite of home health aides and help with such duties as bathing, transportation and errands, and other non-medical services. Private-duty care agencies can approach home care agencies with the intention to team up and synergistically deliver care in a way that benefits everyone.
By joining efforts, home health care agencies and private duty can intervene prior to discharge with patient-centered goals to ease patients seamlessly into care at home. This communication and merging of skill sets and services can dramatically change the transition from hospital to home, empowering patients and reducing hospital readmissions.
Bridging the Gap
At Caring Senior Service, we promote coordinating care efforts with home health agencies. Thanks to our proprietary software, Tendio, seniors, their family members, and all members of their care team can stay up-to-date on current conditions and progress. This system helps everyone stay in the loop to provide the best care for seniors.
Together, home health and private-duty care can help seniors remain healthy and at home. If you find yourself in need of a home care provider, refer to our 7 questions to ask when considering home care to find the best fit. Find your local office to access our FREE downloadable resources.
