When people reach their golden years, everyday living and basic care tasks can become more difficult to do in a safe manner. Whether it’s simply due to old age and/or a medical condition, some seniors may need someone to help them out on either a full-time or part-time basis.

If you have an elderly loved one who needs some amount of care, then you may be curious about the types of home health care available for them and which type of care is best for your elderly relative. Custodial care and skilled nursing are two forms of care available to help your loved ones, but the two are not the same.

To know which type of care is best for an individual, you need to consider their needs and what the care encompasses. Continue reading to learn the difference between custodial and skilled care and to figure out which service better suits your loved one’s care needs.

What’s Custodial Care?

Custodial care is any kind of non-medical care that can be provided by caregivers who do not need to have any medical background or training. The primary purpose of custodial care is to provide individuals in need with help for activities of daily living, such as bathing and getting dressed. Individuals can receive custodial care either at home or in an assisted living setting, such as a nursing home.

Custodial caregivers can also provide assistance with other basic everyday tasks: meal preparation, doing laundry, light housekeeping chores, and running errands, and providing transportation services. If custodial care is done at a nursing home setting, then it might be covered by Medicaid.

Who Benefits from Custodial Care?

Because custodial care doesn’t include any forms of medical assistance, custodial care is best suited for individuals who do not need medical help but still require consistent help with daily activities in order to safely live their lives.

For example, if you have an elderly loved one who cannot safely cook meals for themselves or bathe without someone’s help, then they would benefit from custodial care services. A custodial caregiver could prepare meals for them and help them safely shower among other things.

What’s Skilled Nursing?

Skilled nursing is necessary medical care ordered by a doctor that can only be provided by or under the supervision of a licensed medical professional, such as a nurse or physical therapist. Some examples of skilled nursing include physical therapy and wound care. This care can be performed either in the patient’s own residence or in a nursing facility.

Depending on where you live, skilled nursing might be covered with Medicaid. Different states have different rules for medically necessary skilled care. It is, however, usually more expensive than custodial care.

Who Benefits from Skilled Nursing?

Skilled nursing is beneficial for those individuals who have a medical condition that requires care and assistance. If an individual needs medication, physical therapy, wound care, or other medical needs, then skilled nursing is a great fit.

How Do I Choose Between Custodial Care and Skilled Nursing?

When deciding what kind of care your loved one needs, the main factor to consider is whether they need medical care. If they do, skilled nursing is the way to go, because a licensed medical professional will either administer or supervise the medical care they need. This service can even be conducted at the patient’s residence as home health care.

If your loved one doesn’t need medical help but could use help performing daily activities in a safe manner, then custodial care is a good fit. The care doesn’t include medical help but does include assistance with activities of daily living.

Where Can I Get Custodial Care?

Custodial care can be provided in various settings, including an assisted living facility or a nursing home. This care can also be provided in a patient’s own home. This option of home care has become increasingly popular, because it allows those individuals in need to remain at home in an environment that they are comfortable and familiar with. Furthermore, some seniors are reluctant to give up their homes to leave for some sort of assisted living facility, so home care allows elderly individuals to stay at home while still receiving the help they need.

If you need home care for an elderly relative, then Assisting Hands Home Care can help. At Assisting Hands, we have comprehensive senior home care services that help elderly individuals live at home in a safe manner. We take the time to customize our senior care plans to each client to make sure that their unique care needs are properly met.

All of the caregivers we employ at Assisting Hands are properly bonded, insured, and licensed professionals who are trained in first aid and CPR. That said, we can guarantee your elderly loved one will be in the care of a qualified, compassionate caregiver.