Home Health (Skilled Nursing)

What's the difference between home health care and regular home care? Home health care is medical — skilled nursing and therapy delivered at home, ordered by a doctor and often covered by Medicare. That's the line that trips families up: regular home care helps with bathing, meals, and company; home health care is a licensed nurse changing a wound dressing, managing medications, monitoring a heart condition, or a physical therapist rebuilding strength after a hospital stay.

Because it's medical and physician-ordered, home health is frequently covered by Medicare when you're homebound and need skilled care — unlike companion or personal care, which usually aren't. That coverage difference is worth understanding before you pay out of pocket for something insurance would have covered.

Ask whether the agency is Medicare-certified, how they coordinate with your doctor, and who to call after hours. Every provider here has been background-checked. If what's needed is help with daily living rather than medical care, look at Personal Care or Companion Care instead.