Custodial care includes bathing, personal grooming, dressing, and sometimes meal preparation. That means policyholders must obtain services from providers that meet qualifications set by the insurance company. The expenses keep climbing at least 5.5 percent a year. Part A of Medicare partially defrays the cost of a stay in a skilled nursing facility, which is one that provides intensive medical care. But most people with long-term disabilities, such as strokes or Alzheimer's disease, require only custodial care which Medicare does not cover at all.
Most people envision home care as someone coming to a person's house to perform custodial duties.
But most insurance companies do not mean that at all. Some insurance policies pay for just registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, or physical therapists. Some only cover for health-aids, and some just pay for homemaker services. Home care can provide nursing services at home. A nurse, therapist, or health aid can be at an elderly person's home at any time during the week, depending upon the health and needs of the individual.