Home health care agencies are Medicare-certified (which means they have met federal minimum requirements). Home health agencies may offer a wide range of services, including physician care, or may just offer a few services, such as basic nursing care. Most home health agencies assemble a care team for the patient based on his or her needs. Because home health agencies are responsible for their personnel, they assume liability for all care. Home health agencies are usually available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Non-Medical Home Care agencies provide in-home support services that focus on non-medical care on a daily, weekly or 24/7 basis. These services can include personal care, housekeeping, errands, respite care, meal preparation and social contact. Aids can be hired part-time or full-time, depending on the needs of the client. Most providers offer hourly rates with discounted rates for full days and overnights. These agencies are private pay, meaning the client pays out of pocket or through long-term care insurance.
Hospice care is a special kind of care that focuses on the quality of life for people and their caregivers who are experiencing an advanced, life-limiting illness. Hospice care provides compassionate care for people in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible.