Home Care Home Health Care

Both these terms are used wrong. Home Care is only for companions and homemakers, registered by the Department of Consumer Protection in the State of Connecticut. It is not licensed and it does not have many qualifications to put a shingle out. Home Health is licensed by the Department of Public Health in the State of Connecticut. It has many rules and regulations and provides skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, it is also paid for by insurance, private, or medicare.

Home Care does not have skilled staff. They are homemakers and companions. It does not matter if they are CNAs because in this state they cannot function as CNAs in a homemaker and companion agency. So be clear when you are hiring an agency to assist your loved one with care needs they are getting a homemaker and companion.

It is not covered by conventional insurance but covered by long-term care insurance if the client qualifies for help with activities of daily living. Activities of daily living are dressing, bathing, feeding, and mobility. The homemakers provide support for all activities of daily living either hourly or as a live-in companion. The qualities of those staff depend on how that agency treats their staff, pays their staff, and supports their staff. There is no medical management involved and there should be nothing related to medical issues when describing what their staff does with a particular client.

Many agencies depend on quantity rather than quality. meaning they pay their staff minimum wage, charge a low rate but need to have a lot of clients in order to survive. These agencies should have employees, not independent contractors. Independent contractors are just that independent and not working for an agency. Don't be fooled.

So be clear when you are hiring an agency that you are hiring a companion and homemaker, not a skilled staff member to provide medical management, regardless of what that agency may be telling you.