Home care vs. home health: what's the difference?

When you're searching for help for an aging parent, "home care" and "home health" turn up together constantly. They sound alike, but they're not the same service, and mixing them up can lead to calling the wrong provider first.

Home health is medical care

Home health is a clinical service, typically ordered by a physician, and usually follows a hospital stay, surgery or new diagnosis. It includes things like skilled nursing visits, physical or occupational therapy, wound care and medication management. Home health is generally short-term, tied to a specific medical need, and provided by licensed clinical staff.

Home care is non-medical, day-to-day support

Home care — what Kinbound provides — is non-medical assistance with the everyday parts of living: bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, companionship and supervision. It doesn't require a physician's order, and it's typically ongoing rather than tied to a recovery period. Home care exists to support daily life, not to treat a medical condition.

How to tell which one you need

A helpful question: is the issue clinical, or is it about daily living? If your parent just left the hospital and needs wound checks or physical therapy, that's home health. If the concern is that they can't safely shower alone, haven't been eating well, or shouldn't be alone all day, that's home care.

Many families end up needing both at different points, sometimes at the same time — a home health nurse managing a medical issue, and a home care caregiver handling the daily routine around it.

Where Kinbound fits

Kinbound is a non-medical home care agency. We don't provide skilled nursing, medication administration, wound care or medical transportation. What we do provide is personal care, companion care, homemaker services, and dementia support — and we're glad to work alongside whatever home health services your family already has in place.