Exploring care options for a senior, adult, or child with special needs, chronic health conditions, or who’s recovering from hospitalization can feel overwhelming, especially when trying to understand home care terminology.
What is companion care, what is personal care, and which is right for your loved one? The difference between the two boils down to the type of assistance you or your loved one needs. Companion care focuses on social connection and practical help around the house, while personal care provides hands-on assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).
Let’s break down both options so you can make a confident, informed decision that supports you or your loved one’s independence and quality of life at home.
- What Is Companion Care?
- What Is Personal Care?
- Key Differences: Companion Care vs. Personal Care
- Are Companion Care or Personal Care Considered Medical Care?
- Companion Care vs. Personal Care: Cost, Medicare, & Insurance
What Is Companion Care?
Companion care is a non-medical home care service that focuses on socialization, emotional support, and assistance with daily routines provided by a companion caregiver. This is especially beneficial for those who face the risks of social isolation because they’re unable to leave home.
Companion care services may include:
- Light housekeeping and laundry
- Meal planning and preparation, including grocery shopping
- Social engagement, such as playing games and taking walks together
- Transportation for errands, appointments, or outings
Companion care can often be the first step toward long-term in-home support. It helps you or your loved one get used to having someone else in the home in case more intensive services are required down the road.
What Is Personal Care?
Personal care is a non-medical home care service that involves direct physical assistance or hands-on care from a personal care aide (PCA), home health aide (HHA), or certified nursing assistant (CNA) who helps individuals manage ADLs. This support is helpful for anyone who needs assistance completing everyday tasks safely.
Personal care services usually include help with:
- Bathing, showering, and oral hygiene
- Feeding
- Grooming and dressing
- Mobility and transfer assistance
- Toileting and incontinence care
Personal care is ideal for seniors, adults, and children living with chronic health conditions or disabilities who need ongoing support with everyday needs.
Key Differences: Companion Care vs. Personal Care
Here are some of the key differences between companion care and personal care:
| Companion Care | Personal Care | |
| Primary Focus | Emotional support, socialization, and companionship | Hands-on physical assistance with daily hygiene and mobility |
| ADLs | Does not assist with ADLs | Directly assists with ADLs, such as bathing and toileting |
| Transportation | Commonly included for errands, appointments, and social outings | Commonly included for errands, appointments, and social outings |
| Medication | May offer reminders, but does not administer medication | May offer reminders, but does not administer medication |
| Types of Caregivers | No formal training needed | Personal care aides (PCAs), home health aides (HHAs), or certified nursing assistants (CNAs) |
Physical vs. Hands-Off Support
A key difference between companion care and personal care is the level of physical interaction. Personal care requires physical contact for assistance with ADLs, such as bathing, dressing, or transferring from one place to another.
Companion care, however, is generally hands-off. A companion caregiver may help with laundry or drive a client to an appointment, but they do not provide hands-on assistance with ADLs.
Preserving Independence vs. Essential ADL Management
Both companion care and personal care can help support you or your loved one at home, but they do so in different ways.
Companion care focuses on improving quality of life. A companion caregiver can help with preparing meals, providing transportation, engaging with hobbies, or staying connected with family and friends, which can lead to better health outcomes.
Personal care focuses on functional daily needs. A personal care caregiver can help ensure that everyday tasks such as eating, grooming, or toileting are completed safely and with dignity.
Training & Skill Level Requirements
Both companion care and personal care require empathy, patience, and reliability. But the training for each varies by the type of support, as well as by employer and state requirements.
A companion caregiver role typically involves minimal formal training since the work focuses on social-emotional connections and practical household help rather than personal care tasks.
Personal care aides, however, may need to obtain home health aide (HHA) or certified nursing assistant (CNA) certification, as well as complete formal training programs ranging from 40 to 60 hours or more. This certification and training often covers hands-on skills such as:
- Fall prevention
- Infection prevention and control
- Safe mobility assistance and transferring
Are Companion Care or Personal Care Considered Medical Care?
Companion care and personal care are considered non-medical forms of home care. Because these services are delivered by professional caregivers, not nurses, neither type requires a clinical or nursing license.
It’s common for an individual or family’s needs to evolve over time. You or your loved one may start with companion care and later benefit from personal care if physical needs increase. In some cases, someone receiving personal care may eventually need skilled nursing services in addition to their non-medical care needs.
Working with a home care provider like BrightStar Care that offers both non-medical care and medical care allows individuals and families to better plan for the future and adjust care plans as needs and circumstances change over time.
Companion Care vs. Personal Care: Cost, Medicare, & Insurance
Two common questions about companion care and personal care are how much they cost and whether they are covered by insurance. The answer to both is that it depends.
Which costs more: companion care or personal care?
Companion care is typically less expensive than personal care due to the difference in training and scope. Though, keep in mind that costs vary by provider, location, and hours of service.
Does Medicare cover companion care or personal care?
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally does not cover companion care or personal care if those are the only types of help you or your loved one receives. It considers these non-medical, custodial services.
However, Original Medicare does offer a home health care benefit. It's strictly defined as a doctor-ordered, short-term skilled medical treatment, such as nursing services or physical therapy. Under this benefit, Medicare may cover a home health aide—defined as a trained worker who provides part-time, hands-on help with ADLs—but only when the care they provide is directly tied to an active, skilled medical plan of care. It does not apply to ongoing, standalone companion or personal care.
What should I ask my insurance company about companion care vs. personal care?
Before you start companion or personal care services, it's important to ask the right questions so you have a clear picture of what to expect. Ask your insurance company:
- Does my plan cover non-medical services?
- Are companion care services/personal care services covered?
- Do I need prior authorization or a physician’s order to get services?
- Is there a daily, monthly, or annual benefit limit?
- Which licensed or certified providers does my plan accept?
Long-term care (LTC) insurance is designed to cover services that Medicare does not, including companion care and personal care. Rules vary by provider, but services are often covered when a person is unable to complete a certain number of ADLs or when there is a documented cognitive impairment.
Do Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits cover companion care or personal care?
Veterans and their surviving spouses may be able to get companion or personal care covered through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA's Aid and Attendance benefit provides funds to help with the cost of in-home care for eligible veterans. This benefit is separate from the VA pension. The VA's Homemaker and Home Health Aide program covers professional aides who assist with ADLs. Aides are supervised by a registered nurse who helps assess the veteran’s daily living needs.
Let BrightStar Care® Help You Choose the Right Level of Care
If you or your loved one needs more social connection or assistance with errands, meal preparation, or light household tasks, companion care may be the right place to start. But if you're looking for hands-on assistance with bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding, or mobility, personal care may be more appropriate.
BrightStar Care offers companion care and personal care as part of our in-home care services. We can even create a custom, nurse-led care plan that includes both services, if you or your loved one needs more support at home.
Find a location near you, contact us online, or call 866-618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard®.