Home health and non-medical home care can support the same person without doing the same job.
Medicare describes qualifying home health as ordered intermittent skilled nursing, therapy, medical social services, and certain aide services. It generally excludes 24-hour care, delivered meals, and homemaker services unrelated to the clinical plan. [1]
Put clinical care first
The physician and home-health team direct the clinical plan. Record visit windows, instructions, contact numbers, and the person who should receive updates.
NIA also separates health care, household help, meals, transportation, personal care, and other home-based services, which helps families assign clinical and everyday tasks to different providers. [2]
Define non-medical tasks separately
These may include meals, grocery pickup, transportation, light housekeeping, companionship, reminders, and family respite.
Use one calendar
Show clinical visits, non-medical visits, appointments, rides, task owners, and backups. Do not copy private medical details to everyone.
Agree on communication
A non-medical caregiver can report factual observations through the authorized channel but does not assess symptoms or reinterpret instructions. Clinical questions go to the home-health or treating team.
Review gaps
An intermittent visit may leave long periods when meals, transportation, supervision, or household routines still need coverage. Conversely, a non-medical caregiver cannot fill a skilled-care gap.
Read Non-Medical Home Care vs. Home Health and Who Does What in Senior Care?.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare pay for the non-medical schedule?
Medicare generally does not cover homemaker or custodial-only help under the home-health benefit.
Can caregivers attend a home-health visit?
With the older adult's permission and provider agreement.
Who changes the plan of care?
The appropriate treating and home-health professionals, not the non-medical caregiver.