Home care vs. home health: which kind of help do you need?
The names sound nearly identical, but the services solve different problems. Home health provides ordered, intermittent skilled medical care. SILK provides non-medical help with the daily routines that keep a person safer, supported, and living at home.
Help with everyday life
Personal care, meals, mobility support, reminders, homemaking, transportation, companionship, respite, and supervision. SILK is a non-medical home care provider.
Skilled care ordered for a medical need
Part-time or intermittent skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and certain related services supplied under a clinical plan of care.
Same home. Different responsibilities.
The right question is not which one is “better.” It is whether the need is medical, everyday, or both.
| Question | Non-medical home care | Skilled home health |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Support daily living, safety, comfort, independence, and family sustainability. | Treat, manage, or rehabilitate an illness or injury through skilled clinical services. |
| Typical services | Bathing, dressing, toileting, meals, laundry, light housekeeping, mobility help, reminders, errands, companionship, respite, overnight or extended care. | Skilled nursing, wound care, injections when ordered, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and medical social services. |
| Who provides it? | Trained non-medical caregivers operating within the agency’s permitted scope and care plan. | Licensed nurses, therapists, and other qualified clinical professionals. |
| How often? | May range from shorter scheduled visits to longer shifts, overnight support, or extended schedules when available. | Usually ordered as part-time or intermittent visits based on medical necessity and eligibility. |
| Who orders it? | Families may contact SILK directly. Program-authorized care requires the applicable assessment and approval. | A physician or other allowed provider orders care and establishes or oversees the clinical plan. |
| Common payment | Private pay, qualifying long-term-care insurance, or authorized Medicaid/PASSPORT services when eligibility and approvals apply. | Medicare, Medicaid, or health insurance when coverage rules, medical necessity, provider, and plan requirements are satisfied. |
| Does it replace the other? | No. Daily support does not replace nursing or therapy. | No. Short clinical visits often do not cover the many hours of everyday help a person may need. |
Clinical treatment and daily support can work side by side.
A home-health nurse may visit to assess a wound. A physical therapist may work on strength and transfers. After those professionals leave, the person may still need help getting dressed, preparing lunch, reaching the bathroom, doing laundry, or following established reminders.
That is where SILK’s non-medical care may fit. We respect the licensed clinical plan, stay within our role, and help the household function between professional visits.
- Home health addresses the ordered skilled need
- SILK supports personal routines and household needs
- The family knows whom to contact for medical versus non-medical concerns
- Important changes are communicated through the agreed care process
Start with the problem in front of you.
You do not need to memorize the healthcare system. Use these examples to find the first responsible call.
Call the medical team or home health
The person needs wound care, injections, clinical assessment, therapy, disease treatment, new medical equipment instructions, or help with concerning symptoms.
Call SILK for non-medical home care
The person needs help bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, preparing meals, moving through the home, managing the household, attending appointments, or staying safely accompanied.
Ask about both
A hospital or rehabilitation discharge creates a skilled clinical need and also leaves the family with many hours of daily routines that cannot safely be managed alone.
Coverage depends on the service—not simply the word “home.”
Medicare home health
Medicare-covered home health generally requires the person to be under an allowed provider’s care, meet homebound requirements, need qualifying intermittent skilled services, and receive care from a Medicare-certified home health agency.
Private-pay home care
Families can purchase non-medical home care directly. This may allow more flexibility in tasks and schedules, subject to the agency’s scope, location, staffing, and caregiver fit.
Ohio Medicaid/PASSPORT
Eligible Ohioans may receive authorized services such as personal care or homemaker support through PASSPORT. Program eligibility, assessment, service authorization, and hours are determined by the administering agencies—not by SILK.
Care built around the hours real life still needs covered.
SILK is not a medical home health agency. We provide non-medical in-home care for older adults and adults with care needs across Southern Ohio.
- Personal care and respectful assistance with daily living
- Companion care, respite, meals, homemaking, and transportation
- Mobility assistance and practical home-safety support
- Medication reminders without prescribing or changing medications
- Post-surgery, overnight, and 24-hour scheduling options when available
Match the situation to the next useful resource.
Personal Care
Daily help with bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, and dignity-focused routines.
Explore personal care →Post-Surgery Support
Non-medical help after surgery, hospitalization, or rehabilitation.
Explore recovery support →Chronic Condition Support
Daily assistance for people living with long-term health conditions.
Explore daily support →Home Safety Assessments
A practical review of falls, bathrooms, pathways, mobility, and household risks.
Explore home safety →24-Hour Home Care
Extended non-medical scheduling when needs and staffing align.
Explore extended care →Senior Care Guide
Plain-English guidance for Southern Ohio families comparing care options.
Visit the guide →Home care and home health questions, answered clearly.
Is home care the same as home health care?
No. Non-medical home care supports daily living through services such as personal care, meals, homemaking, mobility help, reminders, companionship, and respite. Home health provides skilled clinical services—such as nursing or therapy—under a medical plan of care.
Can someone receive home care and home health at the same time?
Yes, when each service is appropriate. Home health may address an ordered skilled need while non-medical home care supports daily routines before, after, and between clinical visits.
Does Medicare pay for non-medical home care?
Medicare generally does not cover long-term non-medical care when that is the only care needed. Medicare may cover certain part-time home health aide services when the person is also receiving qualifying skilled home health services and meets the other coverage rules. Always confirm the person’s exact coverage with Medicare or the plan.
Does SILK provide nursing or therapy?
No. SILK provides non-medical home care and does not replace skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, or physician care.
Who decides whether home health is needed?
A physician or other allowed provider must order Medicare-covered home health and certify that eligibility requirements are met. The Medicare-certified home health agency then assesses needs and coordinates the clinical plan with the ordering provider.
Can SILK help after home health visits end?
Potentially. If the remaining needs involve personal care, meals, homemaking, companionship, transportation, mobility support, reminders, or supervision, SILK may be able to help based on location, schedule, payment source, staffing, and caregiver fit.
What if I still do not know which service to call?
Call SILK at 740-245-1051 and describe what changed. We can explain SILK’s non-medical role and tell you plainly when the situation sounds like it should begin with a physician, home health agency, therapist, emergency service, or another resource.
Tell us what your loved one cannot safely manage alone.
Susan or Ehren will listen, explain where SILK’s non-medical care fits, and help you identify the next responsible conversation—without a call-center script.
Founded and 100% owned by Susan Lowers, BSW · Locally operated in Southern Ohio