What is home health care in Alabama?
Home health is skilled nursing and therapy at home under a physician's plan of care, delivered by an ADPH-licensed home health agency and usually paid by Medicare for homebound patients on a part-time, intermittent basis.
Typical visits include wound care, injections, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and teaching after a hospital stay. Visits are short and scheduled; home health does not provide a caregiver for hours at a time.
What is non-medical home care?
Home care, sometimes called personal care or companion care, is hourly help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping and supervision by aides who are not providing skilled nursing; it is usually paid privately, by long-term care insurance, or for eligible people by the E&D Waiver.
CareScout's 2025 Alabama median is about $27 an hour. Ask agencies about minimum shifts, whether aides are employees or contractors, and who covers when an aide calls in sick.
Can home health visit someone in assisted living?
Yes. Alabama requires that skilled services in an assisted living facility, such as wound care, come from properly licensed or certified agencies rather than facility staff, so home health agencies regularly visit ALF and SCALF residents.
That is also how a resident with a short-term skilled need can stay in assisted living, within the 90-day limit in the rules.
How do I choose a home health agency in Birmingham?
Choose from agencies on ADPH's licensed list that serve your parent's ZIP code, check Medicare's Care Compare for home health star ratings and patient survey results, and ask the discharging hospital which agencies have openings this week.
You have the right to choose the agency; a hospital may suggest one but should give you a list.
Can a family use both home health and home care at the same time?
Yes, and it is common after a hospital stay: Medicare home health covers the skilled visits, while a privately paid or waiver-funded aide covers the hours in between for bathing, meals and supervision.
Tell each provider about the other so schedules do not overlap and the aide knows what the nurse or therapist wants practiced between visits.
How long does Medicare home health last?
Medicare home health continues in 60-day certification periods as long as the patient stays homebound and needs intermittent skilled care under an updated physician plan; it ends when skilled needs end, even if personal care needs continue.
That transition point is when families most often add private home care or apply for the Elderly and Disabled Waiver.
At a glance
| Home health | Home care | |
|---|---|---|
| Services | Skilled nursing and therapy | Personal care and household help |
| Order | Physician's plan of care | Family arranges directly |
| Payer | Usually Medicare | Usually private pay |
| Visits | Short, intermittent | Hourly shifts |
Sources: Ala. Admin. Code chapters 420-5-4, 420-5-10 and 420-5-20; ADPH Bureau of Health Provider Standards; ADPH Health Care Facilities Directory and Deficiencies applications; Alabama DHR Adult Protective Services. See our editorial standards.
