Vancouver Home Health Care Agency

  • 8885 SW Canyon Rd. Suite 220 Portland, OR 97225-3455
Request care

Physical Therapy

Home Health Care Versus Home Care

Leave a Comment / Home Health, Home Healthcare, Services / By

Home Health Care Versus Home Care – What’s the Difference? Many people view these two options as the same, but really, they are very different. The two areas concentrate on two different goals, and individuals in each field both need specific skill sets and training. It is important to understand the difference between the two when inquiring about home health care with any agency or medical professional. Home Health Care in a Nutshell Home health care requires a licensed professional. This is skilled care, such as nursing or therapies, that a person receives in the home. Typically, it will happen after a doctor’s visit or stay at the hospital to help the person stay at home during healing. Home Health Care includes: Physical therapy Skilled nursing Wound care Pain management Prescription management Home Care in a Nutshell Home care is focused on sustaining and maintaining the patient’s quality of life while that patient remains in the home. These professionals are “unskilled workers” – this does not mean they lack skills. It simply means they are not licensed. They do receive consistent training, and many are trained in CPR and First Aid. Home Care includes: Mobility assistance Personal grooming help Running errands Transportation to appointments Companionship duties How They Work Together Both specialties focus on the comfort and care of the patient. They also focus on keeping the patient in the home as long as possible. A patient spends a lifetime building a home; these specialties want to see that patient enjoy the home for as long as possible. If you’d like to have a more specific conversation regarding home health care, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

Leave a Comment / Therapy / By

The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Occupational therapy and physical therapy look the same from the outside when they are actually very different forms of therapy for different reasons. While they do overlap in some areas, their end goals are different and the method of therapeutic help are also different. Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy focuses more on the evaluation and improvement of the functional abilities. The occupational therapist will generally not treat a person’s injury directly with manual therapy or acupuncture, as a physical therapist does. Rather, the OT assists in optimizing a person’s independence and ability to complete daily activities after injuries or physical impairment. The OT will treat injuries directly, however, the bigger picture in occupational therapy is on improvement of life skills and using the tools delivered by the therapist to live a better life. Patients work on improving the ability to complete daily tasks; OT’s are far more likely to perform on-site assessments to discover ways to best help the patient. Physical Therapy This type of therapy focuses more on diagnosing and evaluating dysfunctions in movement as well as directly treating the injury. The PT treats the physical issue, such as the bones, injured tissues, or other structures. PT’s will diagnose far more often than OT’s, and will work with the patient in rebuilding or healing structures rather than helping the patient complete daily tasks. The Overlap There is overlap between the two professions, such as in the main focus of PT and OT. Both professions will educate patients on how to best prevent or avoid future injuries, and will help patients understand the healing process. PT’s, through the nature of their work, help people increase the ability to complete their daily tasks, as an OT would. There are, in fact, a number of situations where both types of therapists are involved in a person’s care and healing. Vancouver Home Health Care Agency wants everyone to be educated on the differences in therapies. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

Scroll to Top