Defining Home Care

What is Home Care?

There are several types of home care that are available. They range from licensed nurses and therapists for medical needs (physical therapy, blood tests, wound care) to certified aides or family members for personal needs (eating, bathing, grooming). Unfortunately, what you get often depends on things such as your insurance, your financial status, and what your medical needs are.

If you do not have money or insurance and do not have state provided aide (Medicaid) your options are limited. You may want to see a licensed certified social worker (LCSW) for assistance. Some states will provide income for a specific number of hours per month to help pay for the care of a family member.

If you are disabled or retired and have Medicare A & B (or other supplemental insurance) then you are covered for all your medical needs but not for personal needs. To qualify for home nurse visits you should be able to go home with your family but be considered homebound (unable to leave the home without extreme effort). They also require the patient to have a skilled need, such as wound care or home intravenous (IV) antibiotics. that cannot be done by family members or non medical home care aides.

Home care nurse visits are limited to the number of treatments prescribed by the doctor. Personal needs and custodial care are not covered by Medicare and these responsibilities usually fall on the family. The only plans that cover assisted living needs at home (or in a convalescent home) are long-term care plans, these are available from a number of private companies. Information can also be obtained through Medicare.gov.

If you have private medical insurance plans you will need to look at your individual plan to see who covers the expenses and what expenses are covered. Most plans should at least cover what the basic Medicare plan covers.

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