Non-medical home care is hands-on help with daily living at home—focused on comfort, safety, and routines, not clinical treatment. It often includes personal care, companionship, and household support so a senior can stay independent longer.e.

Most non-medical care plans combine practical help and supervision, such as bathing and grooming support, meal prep, light housekeeping, errands, transportation, and medication reminders. The goal is to make everyday life safer and less stressful—especially when family can’t be there for every moment.

Companion care is mostly social support and practical help—conversation, activities, errands, and keeping the day structured. Personal care includes hands-on help with more private tasks like bathing, dressing, and toileting support. Many families start with companion care and add personal care as needs change.

Non-medical home care does not include skilled nursing or clinical services (like wound care, injections, IVs, vital sign monitoring as a medical service, or therapy). If a client needs Medicare-covered home health, that typically requires skilled services ordered by a provider and delivered by a Medicare-certified home health agency.

A good first step is a simple conversation: what’s hardest right now—bathing, meals, mobility support, loneliness, or keeping up with the home. Many agencies start with a free in-home consultation to review physical needs, emotional needs, homemaking, schedules, and logistics—then build a plan around the client’s routine.

Yes—respite care is designed to give family caregivers real relief while keeping a loved one safe at home. It can be scheduled short-term or ongoing, and commonly includes personal care, meal help, light housekeeping, and medication reminders. It’s typically billed by the hour, which gives families flexibility.

Many Louisville-area families look for care that can start small and scale up. Home care is commonly scheduled by the hour, and some providers offer overnight or 24/7 support depending on staffing and availability. For Medicare specifically, it’s important to know Medicare does not pay for 24-hour-a-day care at home.

In most cases, Medicare doesn’t pay for “custodial” personal care (like bathing or dressing) when that’s the only care you need. Medicare may cover eligible home health services when someone is homebound and needs intermittent skilled care ordered by a provider, through a Medicare-certified agency.

Some Veterans may qualify for VA-supported home-and-community services, including programs where a trained aide helps with daily activities, supervised by an RN (through VA care pathways). Eligibility and coverage depend on the Veteran’s benefits, clinical needs, and VA approval, but it can be an important funding option to explore alongside private pay and long-term care insurance.