Last updated: April 2026
Home Health vs. Home Care: What's the Difference?
This is the most common confusion in home-based care. "Home health" and "home care" sound like the same thing — they are completely different. Medicare covers one. It does not cover the other. Knowing which is which could save your family thousands of dollars.
Side-by-Side Comparison
When Each Type of Care Is Appropriate
Choose Home Health When:
- ✓You were recently discharged from a hospital or rehab facility
- ✓You have a wound that requires professional nursing care
- ✓You need physical, occupational, or speech therapy to recover function
- ✓You have a chronic condition requiring skilled monitoring (e.g., CHF, diabetes, COPD)
- ✓Your doctor has written an order for home health services
- ✓You meet the Medicare homebound criteria (leaving home requires considerable effort)
Choose Home Care When:
- ✓Your loved one needs help with bathing, dressing, grooming, or toileting — but has no skilled medical need
- ✓Companionship and supervision are the primary needs (dementia, loneliness, fall monitoring)
- ✓Help with meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, or grocery shopping is needed
- ✓You need more hours of support than Medicare home health provides (which is intermittent)
- ✓Your family caregiver needs a break (respite care)
- ✓The person is stable medically but cannot safely live alone without daily assistance
Can You Have Both at the Same Time?
Yes — and many families do exactly this. A typical scenario:
Margaret, 78, had a hip replacement. Medicare pays for a physical therapist to visit three times a week and a nurse to check her wound twice a week — that's home health. Her family also hires a private caregiver four hours a day to help her bathe, get dressed, and prepare meals — that's home care. Medicare pays for the PT and nurse. The family pays privately for the caregiver.
These are two separate programs running in parallel. The Medicare home health agency and the non-medical home care agency operate independently. There is no conflict in having both.
How to Pay for Non-Medical Home Care
Since Medicare doesn't cover custodial home care, families typically turn to:
How to Find Both Types of Providers
- DMEHelper directory: Browse Medicare-certified agencies by city or ZIP — free.
- Medicare.gov Care Compare: Official CMS directory with star ratings and inspection results.
- Your doctor: Ask for a referral to agencies they've worked with.
- Hospital discharge planner: They can arrange post-hospital home health when being discharged.
- Area Agency on Aging: Federally-funded local offices that connect seniors to home care resources.
- Eldercare Locator: Free service: 1-800-677-1116 or eldercare.acl.gov — finds local home care.
- Caring.com / A Place For Mom: Online directories with reviews and pricing for home care agencies.
- Your home health nurse: Ask the skilled care team for referrals to reputable home care agencies.
Find Home Health Agencies Near You
Compare Medicare-certified home health agencies in your area. View CMS star ratings, services offered, and contact information — all free.
Find Home Health Agencies Near You →Continue Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between home health and home care?
Home health (also called skilled home health) is medically-focused care ordered by a physician and provided by licensed clinicians — nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. It is covered by Medicare when you qualify. Home care (non-medical or custodial home care) provides help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and companionship. It does not require a doctor's order and is generally not covered by Medicare.
Does Medicare cover non-medical home care?
No. Medicare does not cover custodial or non-medical home care — including personal care aides who help with bathing, dressing, cooking, and housekeeping — unless you are also simultaneously receiving skilled Medicare-covered home health services. Medicaid may cover some non-medical home care for income-eligible individuals. Long-term care insurance, Veterans benefits, and private pay are other options.
Can I have both home health and home care at the same time?
Yes. Many patients receive Medicare-covered skilled home health services (nurse, therapist) while also paying privately or through Medicaid for non-medical home care (aide for personal care and housekeeping). These are separate programs that can run simultaneously. The Medicare home health aide benefit (personal care under nursing supervision) is more limited — it applies only during periods when you are also receiving skilled nursing or therapy.
How do I find a non-medical home care agency?
Non-medical home care agencies are separate from home health agencies and are not required to be Medicare-certified. You can search for them through your state's Area Agency on Aging, through your hospital's social work department, via online directories like Caring.com or A Place For Mom, or by asking your home health case manager for referrals. Always check background check practices and caregiver training standards.
My family member just needs help with bathing and meals — which type of care do they need?
If the only need is personal care and daily activities without any skilled medical need, that is custodial home care — NOT home health. Medicare will not pay for it. However, if a doctor determines that a skilled need also exists (for example, wound care or physical therapy is also needed), then Medicare home health services — including the home health aide benefit — may qualify. Have a conversation with the doctor first to determine whether a skilled care need is present.