What is Home Care?

Home care is a service to recovering, disabled chronically ill persons who need medical treatment or assistance with the activities of daily living.  In Connecticut, there are three major categories of home care provided through licensed home health agencies.

Home Health - Provides skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social work, speech pathology, respiratory therapy and personal care in acordance with a physician authorized plan of care.  When only personal care services are delivered, unlicensed personnel may be used, under the supervision of a RN without physician orders.  Agencies may be licensed and certified or licensed.

Hospice - Provides a coordinated program of palliative care to terminally ill patients, and supportive services to patients, their families and significant others, in both home and facility settings, through a physician-directed plan of care. Specialized services include medical, nursing, home health aide, social services, spiritual care, bereavement services, volunteer services, and other appropriate counseling services. The hospice philosophy of care provides support for persons in the last phases of incurable illness so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice care seeks to enable patients to lead an alert, pain-free life and to manage symptoms so that their last days may be spent at home or in a home-like setting.   

Personal Assistance Services - Provides routine, ongoing care or services required by an individual in a residence or independent living environment that enable the individual to engage in the activities of daily living or to perform the physical functions required for independent living, including respite services. Personal care (feeding, transferring, toileting, ambulation and exercise, bathing, dressing, grooming, routine care of hair and skin, meal preparation, and assistance with medications normally self-administered) may be provided by unlicensed personnel without nursing supervision. Respite care is short-term temporary relief for caregivers and is available under the most appropriate category of care to meet the needs of the client and caregivers.