When Veterans and their family members search for services that help them live at home for as long as possible, they often discover home care and home health care providers. While these terms are nearly identical, they are not interchangeable. Let’s go over the differences between these two types of care. Once you understand their definitions, you can make informed decisions about the type of care you or your family member needs.
What Are the Main Differences Between Home Care and Home Health Care?
Home care services provide assistance that helps seniors, including Veterans, perform day-to-day tasks. How do home care providers do this? They send their staff to perform activities such as:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming/Hygiene
- Eating
- Meal Preparation
- Medication Reminders
- Grocery Shopping
- Light Housekeeping
These tasks are considered unskilled work, but they help seniors stay in their homes as long as possible.
On the other hand, home health care services are skilled care services performed by skilled nursing professionals, often called home health aides. These services treat chronic medical conditions or help Veterans receive the medical home care they need after a hospital stay. Occupational and physical therapists may perform some of these services, especially if the Veteran needs them after surgery. There are many more professional requirements for home health care providers than there are for home care providers because home health care requires medical knowledge and skilled care.
How Can You Pay for Home Healthcare?
Insurance and Medicare often cover home health care services, particularly if the services are intermittent and don’t require daily visits. These services are covered because they are often medically necessary for the Veteran to restore or maintain their health. If you or a family member needs home health care, you should talk to your insurance company to see if it covers those services. If you or your family member receives Medicare, you should research whether your home health care needs fit Medicare’s coverage requirements.
How Can You Pay for Home Care Services?
Medicare and most insurance companies do not cover home care services’ costs because it’s not a medical service. However, you can find ways to pay for home care. AVCC screens Veterans for their eligibility for the VA Aid and Attendance pension benefit. The Aid and Attendance benefit is the VA’s only benefit with a cash payout. If you’re eligible for this benefit, you can apply for it through AVCC. Once you receive the Aid and Attendance benefit, you can put its money toward anything you want. That includes paying for home care services.
Choosing Between Home Care and Home Healthcare Services
Now that we’ve discussed the differences between home care and home health care services, let’s determine how to choose between them. It’s best to choose home health care services if you or your family member needs skilled medical care at home. That includes skilled nursing services as well as physical and occupational therapy. Your doctor or your family member’s doctor must certify the use of home health care services before you can receive them.
If you or your family member needs help with the activities of daily living but doesn’t require skilled medical care, you or they could benefit from home care services.
How to Get a Home Care Provider’s Services
You can reach out to home care providers directly, but how do you know if you’re getting services that meet your or your family member’s daily needs? Partner with AVCC and gain access to our ever-growing network of home care providers. We help you find local providers who offer the services you or your family member needs to maintain a good quality of life.
Access Home Care Services Today Through AVCC
If you believe you’re eligible for Aid and Attendance and you want to use home care services, reach out to AVCC today. We help you find out your Aid and Attendance eligibility and navigate the entire application process. Once you receive that pension benefit, we help you locate home care providers in your area and select the one that best fits your daily needs. We’re here to help you find affordable ways to maintain a good quality of life.
