--- title: "What is Home Care? How to Benefit from These Services?" description: "What does a caregiver do? What are normal home care services? Explore senior home care and how it works." url: https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/what-is-home-care/ publisher: HomeCare.com phone: 800-974-3458 start: https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com --- Family resources # What is Home Care? How to Benefit from These Services? Published September 25, 20153 min readBy HomeCare.com ![What Is-Home-Care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/0c01d7ab94ecbe4d5f9bdda747448ec3-what-is-home-care.CZa0xHyN_Z19CBf8.webp) On this page 1. Defining Home Care 2. What type of Caregiver do you need? 3. Permitted Home Care Services 4. Choosing a Caregiver 5. How HomeCare.com Can Help Questions about care for your family? [800-974-3458](tel:+18009743458) Are you thinking of engaging a Caregiver also known as a Home Health Aide to assist you in your duties of caring for a senior family member or friend? Seventy percent of people turning 65 can expect to use some form of long-term care, according to the CDC. It is not just the elderly who rely on home care. Across the United States, 12 million people currently receive care from more than 33,000 senior care and home care agencies – those Caregivers drive more than 4.8 billion miles each year to reach homebound seniors and others in need of care. [Learn the questions home care agencies don’t want you to ask](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/home-care-resources/9-questions-for-home-care-providers/) ## Defining Home Care Home care is a $75 billion dollar a year industry, comprised of more than 1.5 million caregivers. Home care workers range from companion caregivers all the way to skilled nurses and occupational therapists. In-home caregivers focus on assisting their clients with their activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as going to the bathroom or maneuvering around the house. Caregivers can also provide companionship, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and light housekeeping. [Top questions about paying for home care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/paying-for-care/) The home care industry also includes hospice care, which involves palliative care for those who are in their last days or weeks of life. Hospice staff have a very important job as they serve not just their patient but also the family by providing emotional support during a difficult time. ## What type of Caregiver do you need? If you are looking into engaging a caregiver, it is important to note the difference between home health care, nursing care, and Caregivers who provide non-medical services. For a moderate pay rate, you can find a Caregiver to provide housekeeping services including meal preparation, companionship, and assistance with ADLs. Medical professionals cost more because they provide additional medical care. Let’s examine some specific Caregiver duties, what Caregivers are not permitted to do, and the certifications that may come with home health care titles to help you select the right professional based on your loved one’s needs. ## Permitted Home Care Services It is important to understand the services a Caregiver provides versus the tasks they are not legally permitted nor able to perform. A Caregiver can: - Help your loved one with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene; - Assist your loved one with mobility; - Perform light housekeeping and laundry; - Prepare meals; - Run errands and take the person to physician’s appointments ; and - Provide companionship, conversation, and social activities. Sometimes, a person requires more care than a Caregiver can provide. In those cases, it makes sense to engage someone with certifications or credentials. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is trained to perform services in addition to ADL support. A CNA generally can: - Take and record vital signs; - Assist with certain medical equipment, including oxygen, walkers and wheelchairs; - Remind someone to take medications, but not administer medication; - Feed some one who can sit upright and swallow, but cannot feed themselves. A CNA cannot treat cuts or wounds, give injections, administer medication, or change catheters. If these services are required, a Licensed Nurse Practitioner (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN) may be required, depending on the person’s needs. A separate specialist may visit the home for these services. However, because of their medical knowledge, a CNA can play a valuable role in monitoring patients for any changes in their condition. Additionally, a CNA can, and typically does, perform all the tasks a Caregiver without a license would perform, including housekeeping, errands, and assisting with ADLs. Families sometimes hire more than one Caregiver – a full-time Caregiver may assist with ADLs, while a healthcare professional, such as an LPN, RN or physical therapist may visit the home daily or weekly to assist with additional tasks. ## Choosing a Caregiver As you can see, a Caregiver is virtually anyone who offers care, assistance, and companionship to someone in the home. A Caregiver does not require any specific advanced education or certifications, which means it is important to [conduct research and vet candidates](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/7-things-to-do-before-hiring-a-caregiver/). ## How HomeCare.com Can Help HomeCare.com can alleviate the burden of vetting potential Caregivers. The Caregivers we refer to families have all undergone a [rigorous credentialing process](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/our-credentialing-process/), which includes a thorough background screening and reference checks as well as a Quality Assurance determination. Our Senior Advisors help families assess the care needs of their loved ones and we help interview and match the right Care Provider based on their requirements. Caregivers often become an extension of families. The chosen candidate will likely spend a lot of time with your loved one. There’s no need to worry. [Let HomeCare.com help you find the right Caregiver](https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com), at the right time, based on your criteria. This article was first published on HomeCare.com on September 25, 2015. Program rules and costs change; see our [current cost data](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/cost-of-home-care/) and [guides](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/) for up-to-date figures. ## Terms in this article - [Activities of daily living (ADLs)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/activities-of-daily-living/) - [Certified nursing assistant (CNA)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/certified-nursing-assistant/) - [Licensed practical nurse (LPN)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/licensed-practical-nurse/) - [Home health aide (HHA)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/home-health-aide/) - [Registered nurse (RN)](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/registered-nurse/) - [Home health care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/home-health-care/) - [Palliative care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/palliative-care/) - [Hospice care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/hospice-care/) - [Home care](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/home-care/) - [Dressing](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/dressing/) ## Keep reading - [**7 Things to do before Hiring a caregiver for elderly**Caregiver interview questions you should ask. How to choose the right elder care giver for your loved one. How to protect yourself by looking for CNA...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/7-things-to-do-before-hiring-a-caregiver/) - [**HomeCare.com’s Credentialing Process**All about HomeCare.com’s credentialing process and how we screen 100% of caregivers. Background checks and reference checks for caregivers.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/our-credentialing-process/) - [**Paying for Home Care**Can you use Medicare for home care? How are veteran’s benefits determined? Learn the costs of elder care services and home health care pricing including...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/family-resources/paying-for-care/) - [**9 questions to ask when choosing a nursing home**When selecting a home care provider, you want to think about the difference between home care agencies and caregiver registries. Ask these interview questions.](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/home-care-resources/9-questions-for-home-care-providers/) - [**Companion Care vs Personal Care: What Each Level Does and Does Not Do**Companion care gives company, light housekeeping, meals, rides and reminders. Personal care adds hands-on help with bathing, toileting, dressing and moving...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/companion-care-vs-personal-care/) - [**Dementia Care at Home: A Stage-by-Stage Plan for Families**Dementia care at home can work for years if the level of care rises with each stage. Early stage often needs reminders and check-ins. Middle stage needs...](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/guides/dementia-care-at-home/) ## Talk to a care advisor today. Free consultation. No minimums, no contracts. [800-974-3458](tel:+18009743458) [Call a care advisor](tel:+18009743458)[Find a caregiver online](https://care.homecare.com/?source=homecare.com) ![A caregiver brushing an older woman's hair](https://homecare.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/companion-hero.VQ7SEy6E_1cBo5h.webp)