What is the difference between home health care and non-medical in-home care? How will they affect your budget? Can you afford them? At first glance, these two styles of care may look similar, to the point where it’s difficult to choose between the two. However, the degree of assistance you need plays a key role in whether or not one is ideal for your situation.
Here we break down the crucial pros and cons. .
Home Health Care
You can consider this the medical variety of home care, employed when yourself or a loved one has suffered illness or injury.
Pros
This service is the least expensive, better indulges the patients, and offers care on a hospital level. The caretaker assigned to a patient only conducts what the doctor prescribes, without taking liberties of their own.
This care includes a variety of services, but most notably wound care, occupational therapy, pain management, and mobile training. On the financial side, home health care is covered by Medicare, without including home administered medicament or any non-medical services.
Cons
The downfall is that Medicare only covers 35 hours a week, and they cover care only for patients who can’t leave their home. The agency must be certified by Medicare for you to be eligible for their services.
Non-Medical In-Home Care
Since their names are similar, it’s easy to get them confused. Non-medical in-home care is a custodial service; think of it as a helping hand around the house for those who struggle with the day-to-day, rather than serious medical assistance.
Pros
This model includes the help of a professional caretaker, but also allows the inclusion and support of family, friends, or neighbors.
Non-medical care involves the caretaker’s assistance with bathing, dressing, cooking, transportation, and more. Depending on the agency, caretakers may provide medical and non-medical expertise at once.
In hiring a non-medical caretaker, you won’t need doctors’ approval or recommendations – you’re free to handle this yourself. However, ensure your chosen agency has certification from Medicare. This allows you to trust in its quality, even if your plan doesn’t cover it.
Cons
It is worth noting that this sort of care is not covered by Medicare. Nonetheless, these services are normally referred by a doctor or hospital, opening you up to coverage from other insurance plans.
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