Guide
Home health vs. home care: the distinction that saves a wasted week
Home health is skilled, usually Medicare-certified care. Home care is help with daily life. Families search the wrong list when they mix them up.
Key takeaways
- Home health agencies in this directory are Medicare-certified and report quality measures to CMS.
- Home care / private duty is a different market: hourly help, often without a skilled-need requirement.
- You may need both at once — a nurse twice a week and an aide for evenings.
Two industries, one kitchen table
Discharge planners say “we’ll set up home health.” Relatives hear “someone will be there.” Then a nurse visits for 45 minutes and leaves. That gap is the difference between home health and home care.
Home health
Skilled services ordered by a clinician, delivered by a Medicare-certified agency, with start-of-care assessments, quality reporting, and a defined episode. This is what HomeAide indexes.
Home care
Personal care, meals, rides, companionship. Payment is private, sometimes long-term care insurance or Medicaid. CMS star ratings on this site do not describe that workforce.
Find an agency
Search Medicare home health agencies