Families often call asking for "home care" when what they really need is someone to organize the care. The two are different services, and knowing the difference saves time and money.
Home care
Home care companies send caregivers into the home for hands-on help: bathing, dressing, meals, companionship, and similar support. Home health, which is different again, is skilled clinical care ordered by a physician. Both are delivered by licensed agencies.
Elder care navigation
Elder care navigation, sometimes called care management or care coordination, does not provide hands-on care. It is the coordination layer: finding and comparing providers, keeping the schedule and the records organized, attending appointments when the family wants someone present, following up when something is missed, and keeping authorized family members informed.
Why many families need both
A caregiver can be excellent and still not know about the cardiology follow-up, the new medication, or the brother in Chicago who needs an update. Navigation keeps those pieces connected. Coastal Access Living provides navigation only. We help families find, coordinate, and oversee care companies; we do not employ caregivers.
Questions to ask yourself
- Does my parent need physical help at home? That points to home care.
- Is the problem that nobody is coordinating? That points to navigation.
- Is it both? That is the most common answer.
Read more about Family Advocacy & Care Navigation.