Companion Care vs. Personal Care

Not all home care is the same care. There are two levels — and the difference matters.

Companion care is support and supervision: conversation, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, rides to appointments, medication reminders, and a watchful eye for someone who shouldn’t be alone all day. Personal care adds hands-on assistance — bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and safe transfers from bed to chair. The distinction matters for three reasons. Training: hands-on care requires more skill, and in Maryland’s licensed agencies, appropriately certified caregivers with nurse oversight. Cost: personal care typically runs somewhat higher than companion care. And planning: many families start with companion visits a few days a week, then add personal care as needs grow — same agency, same familiar caregiver, more support.

When you call an agency, describing what your loved one actually needs — companionship and safety, or hands-on help — gets you the right caregiver and an accurate quote from the very first conversation.

This has been Care Without Crisis Explains, presented by Vanguard Care Solutions.

For more free videos and family resources — or when you’re ready to talk about care at home — visit vanguardcaresolutions.com or call 301-327-1444.