Today, home care in the United States provides a valuable and diverse service to many families. Currently, more than 20,000 agencies provide home care services to over 7.6 million clients because of physical disabilities, long-term health conditions, dementia, or terminal illnesses. Spending for home health care has risen from $3.5 billion in 1990 to $41.3 billion in 2004.
Types of Home Care Providers
Personal and Home Care Aides (aka Homemakers, Caregivers, Companions or Personal Attendants)
These individuals provide housekeeping and routine care services. They can clean client's homes, do laundry, and change bed linens. Aides may plan meals (including special diets), shop for food, and cook. Aides may also help clients get out of bed, bathe, dress and groom. Some accompany clients to doctors appointments or on other errands.
Although personal attendants can be hired as independent contractors, we recommend that an individual access this type of care through reputable companies. These companies have done background checks and have bonded and insured their caregivers. They are not licensed by the California Department of Health Services to provide skilled nursing care.
Fill out the companion care form to get more information on these services in your area.
Medicare Certified Home Health Agencies
These agencies are certified by the California Department of Health Services to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries and are required to provide nursing, and at least one of the following services: occupational, physical and speech therapies, medical social services, and home health aides. Medicare certified home health agencies are licensed by the State of California to provide skilled nursing care in the home. Most of these organizations are also Medi-Cal certified, authorizing them to provide services to Medi-Cal recipients.