Companion care, personal care, or home health: which kind of help fits?
For families who know help is needed but do not know which provider category to call.
Start with the task list
Write down what happens during a difficult day. Use concrete verbs such as prepare lunch, fold laundry, play cards, help with a shower, transfer from bed, or change a dressing. The verbs reveal the provider category more clearly than labels such as sitter, caregiver, or home care.
What companion and homemaker support covers
- Conversation, reading, games, hobbies, and ordinary shared time
- Light housekeeping, laundry, ordinary meal preparation, and agreed shopping routines
- Scheduled non-hands-on visits that may give family members time for work, errands, appointments, or rest
When another provider category is needed
- Hands-on personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding, transfers, or hands-on mobility assistance
- Clinical home health: skilled nursing, wound care, injections, therapy, treatment, or clinical monitoring
- Emergency or continuous safety needs: call the appropriate emergency or clinical service rather than relying on companion support
It can be more than one category
A person may benefit from companionship and also need hands-on personal care. The categories do not cancel each other out, but each task must be assigned to a provider legally and operationally able to perform it. Ask every provider to explain the boundary in plain language.