The terms, "In Home Care", “In-Home Care”, "Home Care", “Homecare” and "Home Health Care" refer to any type of care given to individuals - mostly elderly seniors - in their own home, making it possible for them to remain at home rather than move into a residential, long-term, institutional-based facility. In Home Care providers render services in the comfort and convenience of a person’s own home. Most individuals prefer home care over institutional care, if given the choice. Generally, In Home Care is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends. More and more older people, electing to live independent, non-institutionalized lives, are receiving In Home Care services as their physical capabilities diminish. Younger adults who are disabled or recuperating from acute illness are choosing home care whenever possible. Chronically ill infants and children are receiving sophisticated medical treatment in their secure home environments. Adults and children diagnosed with terminal illness also are being cared for at home, receiving compassion and maintaining dignity at the end of life. As hospital stays decrease, increasing numbers of patients need highly skilled services when they return home. Other individuals are able to stay at home to begin with, receiving safe and effective care in the comfort of their own homes.

The care they receive may include some combination of professional or skilled health care services and non-medical or assisted living services. The phrases, In Home Care, Home Care and Home Health Care have been used in the past interchangeably regardless of whether the person requires skilled nursing care or not. Today, however, there is growing understanding that "home health care" means skilled nursing care, and that "in home care" means non-medical care, personal care, custodial care or domiciliary care. These differences are important because they help determine the appropriate level of care provided, which in-turn will determine the actual cost of care and also the funding sources available to pay for care.

Skilled Home Health Care services generally include medical or psychological services, wound care, pain and medication management, disease management, nursing care services, oxygen services, medical supplies and equipment, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. Hospice services are also a specialized type of Skilled Home Health Care for individuals needing compassionate, end-of-life services. Home health care is generally paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Health Insurance. All states require Home Health Care Agencies to be licensed and those receiving Medicare payment must also be Medicare certified. There are approximately 9,800 licensed Home Health Agencies and 3,300 licensed Hospices actively operating in the country.

In Home Care, or non-medical care services on the other hand, includes personal care, companionship and supervision, as well as help in the home with the tasks of daily living such as meal preparation, medication reminders, laundry, light housekeeping, errands, shopping, transportation, and companionship. Activities of daily living (ADL) refers to six specific activities (bathing, dressing, transferring, using the toilet, eating, and walking) that reflect an individual’s capacity for self-care. The number and severity of a person’s ADL assistance needs often is used to determine eligibility for Long Term Care insurance benefits or may be used as part of an assessment tool by an In Home Care Agency to determine the agency’s charges for in home care services and also to appropriately staff assignments with qualified caregivers. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) refers to six daily tasks (light housework, preparing meals, taking medications, shopping for groceries or clothes, using the telephone, and managing money) that enables the individual to live independently in their home. While there are differences in the terms describing aspects of In Home Care or Home Health Care, in reality, most elderly individuals needing one type of care, will eventually need both at some point.

In Home Care is mostly paid from the savings and resources (including reversed mortgages) of the individual or their family. This is type of payment is commonly referred to as Private Pay or out-of pocket. Most Long Term Insurance carriers do pay a fixed benefit per day and have a maximum benefit limit they will pay for In Home Care given certain necessary requirements are met. Estimates indicate that most in home care is provided informally by families and friends or by independent or “freelance” caregivers, even though there are significant labor and liability risks associated with directly hiring a caregiver. But that trend is changing due to the development of capable and affordable In Home Care Agencies, available in almost every town across the country, that lighten the in home care burden on the family, and assume caregiver management and liability. The number of In Home Care Agencies is estimated to be about 7,500 nationally. Most states require some form of licensure or certification of In Home Care Agencies or of their caregivers.

If you are considering hiring an In Home Care Agency to help a parent or other loved one remain home, there are things you need to think about and questions you should ask in order to get the highest quality of care available. You want to select a qualified In Home Care Agency that will provide the services you need at the cost you can afford. If you need assistance finding and selecting an In Home Care Agency in your area, email us at Info@InHomeCare.com today.