--- title: "Home Care vs Home Health Care: What's the Difference?" description: "Home care vs home health care: who provides each, what they do, who pays (Medicare covers home health, not home care), and how to tell which you need." url: https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/home-care-vs-home-health/ updated: 2026-10-09 site: Senior Transition Assistance --- Care at home # Home care vs. home health care: what's the difference? The names are almost the same, but they're different services, with different staff and different ways to pay. Here's how to tell them apart. Talk it through with a person[ (800) 614-8388 ](tel:+18006148388) Free. We listen, explain your options, and introduce you to a few that fit. You decide. Quick answer Home care is non-medical help with daily life (bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, company), usually paid privately by the hour; the 2025 median was $34 an hour in Kansas and $33 in Missouri. Home health care is skilled medical care at home (nursing, physical or occupational therapy) ordered by a doctor, and Medicare pays for it in full for people who are homebound and meet the rules. Many families use both. [(800) 614-8388](tel:+18006148388) to talk it through. **Last updated October 9, 2026** Costs are published medians or typical ranges with a named source, never quotes. Every community and agency prices differently. ## Side by side | | Home care | Home health care | |---|---|---| | What it is | Help with daily activities and household tasks | Skilled nursing and therapy | | Who provides it | Caregivers, aides, companions | Nurses, therapists, home health aides | | Doctor's order | Not needed | Required | | How long | As long as you want | Part-time, for a period of recovery or treatment | | Medicare | Doesn't pay for it alone | You pay $0 for covered services if homebound and eligible | | Cost if private pay | 2025 median $34/hour in Kansas, $33 in Missouri | Usually covered by Medicare or insurance | Hourly medians: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. ## When you need home care - Help bathing, dressing or using the bathroom. - Meals, light housekeeping, laundry, errands. - Company and supervision, including for dementia. - Help after a hospital stay, once skilled care ends. ## When you need home health - Recovering from surgery, a fall or a hospital stay. - Wound care, injections or monitoring. - Physical, occupational or speech therapy at home. Medicare home health is part-time: in most cases, Medicare.gov says skilled nursing and home health aide services up to 8 hours a day combined, for a maximum of 28 hours a week. It doesn't cover 24-hour care, meal delivery, or homemaker or personal care when that's the only care needed. See [Medicare and home health](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/medicare-home-health/). ### Not sure which you need? We'll help you sort it out and find care at home near Kansas City. Free. [ (800) 614-8388 ](tel:+18006148388)[Have us call you](#g-form) ## Questions families ask ### Is home care the same as home health care? No. Home care is non-medical help; home health is skilled medical care ordered by a doctor. ### Does Medicare pay for home care? Not for non-medical home care alone. Medicare pays for home health care when the rules are met. ### Can you have both? Yes. Many families use home health for recovery and home care for daily help. ### How do I get home health care? A doctor must order it and certify your parent is homebound. Then a Medicare-certified agency provides it. ## Sources - [Medicare.gov: Home health services](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services) - [CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, Median Cost Data Tables (survey July to November 2025; median cost data tables, published March 2026)](https://pro.genworth.com/riiproweb/productinfo/pdf/282102.pdf) ## Related guides - [Care at home](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/) - [In-home care](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/in-home-care/) - [Home health care](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/home-health-care/) - [Does Medicare pay for home health?](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/paying-for-it/medicare-home-health/) - [In-home care costs](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/costs/in-home-care/) - [PACE](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/pace-program/) - [Aging in place](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/aging-in-place/) - [Dementia home care](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/dementia-home-care/) - [Finding a caregiver](https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/finding-a-caregiver/) --- Canonical page: https://seniortransitionassistance.com/help/care-at-home/home-care-vs-home-health/