Home Health vs. Home Care: Understanding the Key Differences and Benefits for Senior Recovery

Your mom is being discharged from the hospital after an unexpected surgery. The social worker assigned to her case says she’ll need home health and home care services in order to continue recovering at home. 

Why does she need both? 

Why Seniors Need Both Home Health and Home Care After Hospital Discharge

“People often think home care and home health are the same thing,” said Sierra Goetz, co-founder and operations director at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). “While they do have some similarities, they are not interchangeable, and it’s important t for families to understand the differences.”

What is Home Health Care?

Home health care services are performed by licensed medical professionals, such as registered nurses, physical therapists and medical social workers.They help patients live comfortably in their homes while receiving critical medical care.

Services Provided by Home Health Care Professionals:

• Monitoring vital signs
• Wound care
• Removing stitches and sutures
• Administering medications
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy

What is Home Care?

Home care organizations, like HCAN, employ professional caregivers who are trained to provide non-medical services to help people with activities of daily living.

Non-Medical Services Offered by Home Care Providers:

• Bathing and grooming
• Dressing
• Toileting
• Medication reminders
• Meal preparation
• Transportation
• Companionship

Customized Non-Medical Care Plans Tailored to Each Senior

“We work with many people who are making the hospital to home transition,” Goetz said. “Our highly-trained professional caregivers can help relieve overwhelmed family members, improve the quality of life and ensure discharge instructions are followed – reducing the chance of hospital re-admission.”

Getting Started with HCAN’s Home Care

Whether it’s just a few hours a week or 24/7, HCAN’s Care Team works closely with families to develop customized non-medical care plans designed to meet their senior’s unique post-discharge needs. 

For more information, visit hcanthrive.com or call your local HCAN supported office.