Home Health Care
Home health care is physician-ordered clinical care delivered at home by licensed professionals, most often physical, occupational, and speech therapy alongside skilled nursing, usually for a defined period of recovery or rehabilitation.
Reviewed by Valerie VanBooven, RN, BSN
What's Included
- Physical therapy for strength, balance, walking, and fall prevention
- Occupational therapy for dressing, bathing, cooking, and other daily tasks
- Speech therapy for speech, language, and swallowing difficulties
- Skilled nursing visits alongside therapy when clinically needed
- Home safety assessment and recommendations for equipment or adaptations
- Progress reporting back to the ordering physician
Who It's For
Someone recovering from surgery, a hospital stay, a stroke, or a fall who needs licensed therapy to regain function, and who can receive it at home rather than travelling to an outpatient clinic.
Understanding Home Health Care
Home health care is a clinical service, not a category of help around the house. It is ordered by a physician, delivered by licensed clinicians, and directed at a specific goal such as walking safely again or swallowing without choking.
The therapy disciplines address different things. Physical therapy works on strength, balance, and mobility. Occupational therapy works on the practical business of daily life, from getting dressed to getting in and out of a shower safely. Speech therapy covers speech and language and also swallowing, which is a common and serious issue after a stroke.
It is usually time-limited. A home health episode runs while a person is actively making progress toward the goals in the plan of care, and it ends when those goals are met or progress stops, which is a frequent surprise to families expecting ongoing support.
Home health and non-medical home care are complementary rather than alternatives, and many families use both: therapists working on recovery a few times a week, and a caregiver providing the day-to-day help that home health does not cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is home health care?
Home health care is physician-ordered clinical care delivered at home by licensed professionals, most often physical, occupational, and speech therapy alongside skilled nursing, usually for a defined period of recovery or rehabilitation.
Who is home health care for?
Someone recovering from surgery, a hospital stay, a stroke, or a fall who needs licensed therapy to regain function, and who can receive it at home rather than travelling to an outpatient clinic.
Other Services
How to Get Home Health Care
Enter a city and state below to find home care providers in the Care Across America directory who serve that area. Contact them directly to ask whether they offer home health care and to get pricing for your situation.