Choose the right service category
Start with the task, not the label “home care.”
Different providers can sound similar online while being permitted to do very different work. Use this guide to identify the kind of help the situation may require.
We may help with
- Conversation, shared activities, reading, games, and ordinary social time.
- Light housekeeping, laundry, and keeping everyday spaces in order.
- Planning and preparing ordinary meals based on stated preferences.
- Shopping assistance and routine household errands, subject to an agreed policy.
- Scheduled visits that let family members step away for work, errands, or rest.
We do not provide
- Bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding, or other hands-on personal care.
- Lifting, transfers, repositioning, or hands-on help with walking.
- Medication setup, handling, administration, or adherence monitoring.
- Nursing, therapy, clinical assessment, treatment, or vital-sign monitoring.
- Emergency response or continuous safety monitoring. Call 911 in an emergency.
If the situation includes both non-hands-on companionship and hands-on needs, a conversation can still clarify which tasks may fit Always First and which require another provider. We do not present one service category as a substitute for another.
A plain-language comparison
Four categories families often encounter.
- Homemaker and Companion ServiceNon-hands-on companionship and ordinary household support. This is our category.
- Home health agencyMay provide licensed or certified health services and, depending on the agency, personal care. We are not a home health agency.
- Nurse registryConnects clients with independently contracted nurses, aides, or other personnel under Florida rules. We are not a nurse registry.
- Emergency servicesFor immediate danger, a fall with injury, chest pain, breathing difficulty, or another emergency, call 911. Do not call a companion service.
Questions to ask any provider
Make the boundaries concrete.
- What exact tasks are permitted and excluded?Ask for examples tied to the person’s real routine.
- Which Florida license or registration category applies?Registration and licensure are not interchangeable terms.
- What happens if needs become hands-on?Understand how scope changes are identified and communicated.
- How are rates, minimums, cancellations, and substitutions handled?Ask for the current terms before agreeing to service.
Want the full comparison?
Compare types of help Read the task-by-task guide.
See how non-hands-on companion support differs from hands-on personal care and clinical home health, with links to the Florida sources.
Still not sure which category fits?
Tell us the specific tasks involved. We can explain our boundary clearly, even when we are not the right provider for the whole situation.