Home Health Care vs. Assisted Living: A Look at the Differences

For many individuals, finding the right care for a loved one who is struggling with medical or personal needs, the options out there can seem a bit confusing. What is best for them? Should they move to a community or facility? Or should they receive home health care in their home? 

Below, we are going to discuss the differences between home health vs. assisted living.  

Assisted living generally provides personal care in a home-like, social setting. Trained medical personnel on staff but they are usually there in case of emergency and do not perform routine medical care. 

Home health care encompasses a wide range of health care services in the home. These services help patients recover, sustain or improve strength and mobility, as well as improve communication and skills of daily living. Home Health team members work to meet the patient’s goals of care, in the safety and convenience of a home setting.

Home Health Care

As conditions progress or individuals need more specialized medical care, most prefer to remain in their own homes if possible. Each person has their preferences but may prefer the privacy of their own home when receiving treatment and enjoy being in a more comfortable space.

Home health care can also help to prevent your loved one from having to go to the hospital by providing skilled nursing care and assessments in the home setting.  

In general, when a person needs regular health care services but getting to a health care provider’s office or clinic requires a considerable or taxing effort, home health care is often a recommended choice. 

Home Health Care Costs

The affordability of home health care is a concern for many, but Serenity Home Health is a Medicare Certified health care provider. 

Home Health Care Services Covered by Medicare                   

• Regular assessments and monitoring
• Post-surgical care
• Ostomy care
• Pain management
• Wound care and dressing
• IV therapy and medication administration
• Catheter management and administration
• Medication management
• Chronic disease management
• Home safety evaluations and fall prevention
• Tracheostomy care
• Enteral nutrition management

Additionally, Serenity Home Health offers emotional and educational support for the patient and their family:

Patient Family Education Services: Serenity Home Health will work closely with you to ensure that you or your loved one receives assistance with short or long-term care plans, medications, and therapeutic services. Through patient family education services, we educate and prepare families on every aspect of the condition of their loved one. 

Social Services, Counseling, and Therapy: It is beneficial to take advantage of social services counseling and therapy, even if the treatment isn’t prescribed by the doctor. 

Assisted Living

Assisted living homes are best for individuals who require little specialized medical care on a regular basis. This means that most assisted living homes provide residents who require some help accomplishing various activities of daily living (ADLs) with a community that promotes independence where they can engage in activities with other seniors.

Costs for Assisted Living

Medicare does not typically cover the expenses associated with assisted, independent or retirement living. Medicaid also does not pay for the cost of living in an assisted living community but may cover some of the costs of services provided i.e. medication management.

Assisted Living Services

Services that assisted living facilities offer vary from organization to organization, but here is an idea of what might be provided:

• 3 meals a day in a group dining room
• Personal care services (help with bathing, dressing,continence, etc.)
• Arrangements for transportation to and from stores, recreational spaces, etc.
• Medication management and assistance with self-administration of medicine
• Recreational and spiritual group activities
• Exercise, nutrition and wellness programs
• Laundry and linen cleaning
• Housekeeping and maintenance services

Those who need mobility assistance or suffer from behavioral or cognitive impairments are typically discouraged from moving to an assisted living facility since they require more specialized care. Although assisted living residents eventually move on to nursing homes or other facilities, many leave assisted living to return home for specialized one-on-one skilled nursing care through a home health agency.

At Serenity Home Health Care, we are recognized both nationally and locally for providing high-quality home health care to patients living in the Wichita, KS area. Serenity was one of only 30 Home Health Agencies in the Nation to receive a Double 5-Star Rating out of more than 12,200 in the United States — and the only one to receive this distinction in Kansas.