Families often hear these terms used as if they're the same thing. They aren't, and knowing the difference helps you get the right help and the right payer.
Home care (private duty)
What it is: ongoing help at home with daily living: bathing, dressing, meals, companionship, sitter services, transportation, and nursing support when needed.
How long: as long as you need it, from a few hours a week to 24-hour care.
Who pays: Georgia Medicaid waivers (EDWP, ICWP, GAPP) for people who qualify, private pay, long-term care insurance, and sometimes workers' compensation.
Medicare home health
What it is: short-term, doctor-ordered skilled care (nursing, physical, occupational, or speech therapy) from a Medicare-certified agency.
Who qualifies: Medicare patients who are homebound and need intermittent skilled care, usually after a hospital stay or a change in condition.
What it doesn't cover: ongoing personal care or round-the-clock help. That's where home care fills the gap, and the two often work side by side.
Nursing home (skilled nursing facility)
What it is: 24-hour care in a facility, either short-term rehab after a hospital stay or long-term residence.
Who pays: Medicare covers a limited number of rehab days after a qualifying hospital stay. Long-term stays are paid privately or by Medicaid.
How to choose
- If your loved one needs skilled therapy after a hospital stay, ask the doctor about Medicare home health, and add home care for the hours in between.
- If the main need is daily help and supervision, home care is usually the right fit, and Georgia Medicaid's EDWP program may pay for it.
- If safety can't be maintained at home even with help, a facility may be the safer choice.
Not sure which applies? Talk to us. We'll give you a straight answer, even if the answer isn't us.