What Is Home Care?

If you've started looking into help for your aging parent, you've probably run into several different options. There's home care, home health, assisted living, and nursing homes. However, they're not the same thing, and the differences matter when you're trying to figure out what your loved one actually needs. Our caregivers are here to provide quality home care if your parent staying in their home is the most important factor to you.

Visiting Angels Knoxville provides non-medical home care to seniors and adults across Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Concord, Lenoir City, and the surrounding communities. Call us at 865-531-4833 to set up a free in-home consultation.

What Home Care Is

Home care is non-medical support that comes to your loved one in their own home. Our caregiver helps with everyday tasks that have become harder, such as bathing, dressing, meals, light housekeeping, errands, transportation, and companionship, so your loved one can continue living independently rather than moving into a facility. This is a much easier transition for most than uprooting their lives to move.

Home care doesn't involve nursing, therapy, or medical treatment. It's about daily living and quality of life, the hands-on, practical help that lets someone stay safe and comfortable at home. You can see the full range on our home care services page.

What Home Care Includes

The care is built around each person, so no two plans look exactly alike. Common services include:

• Grocery shopping and errands
• Medication reminders
• Laundry and light housekeeping
• Companionship and conversation
• Bathing, grooming, and dressing
• Transportation to appointments
• Planning and preparing healthy meals

How Home Care Is Different From Home Health Care

While they might sound similar, this is what confuses most families. Home health care is medical; it's skilled services like nursing, wound care, or physical therapy, usually short-term, ordered by a doctor, and often delivered after a hospital stay.

On the other hand, our senior home care is non-medical and ongoing, focusing on helping out with daily living and companionship. Our caregivers are there to fill in any pieces that might be missing to finally make it safe for them to stay at home.

Many families use both at once: a home health nurse for the medical part, and a home care caregiver for everything else. Our transitional care often works right alongside home health after a hospital discharge. This is a great option during a period of time when your senior might need extra care.

How Home Care Compares to Assisted Living and Nursing Homes

Assisted living and nursing homes move your loved one into a facility. That works for some seniors, but it means leaving home, which is a big downside. It's also much more expensive than some families prefer. That's because you pay for all services offered at the facility regardless of whether your senior uses them or not.

Home care keeps your loved one in their own home with one-on-one attention, which many people prefer and can cost less than a facility, especially when care is part-time. For a loved one who wants to stay put but needs a hand, home care is often the best solution.

How Visiting Angels Knoxville Helps

We're locally owned and operated, and our caregivers cover the full range of non-medical care. That includes personal care for hands-on daily help, companion care for seniors who mainly need company, and specialized Alzheimer's care and dementia care for memory loss. We also offer respite care for family caregivers, palliative care and end-of-life care focused on comfort, and our fall prevention program to make the home safer. Just tell us what needs your senior has, and we'll create a personalized care plan for them.

Getting Started With Home Care in Knoxville

If this sounds like your situation, we're here to help you. Reach out, and we'll set up a free consultation in your loved one's home, where we get to know them, learn about their needs, answer your questions, and build a care plan around them. We'll create a customized care plan for your senior. Call Visiting Angels Knoxville at 865-531-4833 or reach out online whenever you're ready.

What Is Home Care FAQs

Here are answers to the questions Knoxville families ask most about home care.

Is home care the same as home health care?

No. Home care is non-medical help with daily living and companionship. Home health care is skilled medical services, such as nursing or therapy, usually ordered by a doctor. Many families use both together.

Does Medicare pay for home care?

Medicare generally doesn't cover ongoing non-medical home care. Families typically pay privately, use long-term care insurance, or draw on veterans benefits. We're glad to talk through what might apply during the consultation.

How many hours of home care can we get?

As many or as few as your loved one needs. Some families start with a few hours a week, while others need daily or around-the-clock care. The schedule adjusts as needs change.

How do we know if home care is the right fit?

If your loved one wants to stay in their own home but needs help with daily life, home care is usually a good fit. A free consultation is the easiest way to find out. We'll talk through the situation and help you decide.