The Difference Between Home Health Aides and Private Duty Nursing

Private Duty Nursing vs. Home Health care: Which one better?


The at-home medical care services industry is widely varied, and there are often misconceptions about what home health professionals do and the benefits of home care that can be expected. In today’s post, we’re going to take a look at the differences and similarities between home health aides and private duty nurses, so read on to find out which home care service will fit your needs the best.

At Alliance Homecare in New York, we specialize in a wide variety of home care services, and we consistently offer the highest quality care to our clients. We strictly adhere to our own philosophy called The Grandma Rule℠, and we treat every one of our patients as if they were our own family. To learn more about our home care services or to hire us for your own care or the care of your loved ones, get in touch today! We look forward to helping you recover and live comfortably.

Home Health Aides

The home health aides from Alliance Homecare are focused on companion care, daily assistance, and general home support. While health aides may assist in light medical duties like medication preparation, they are primarily non-medical support. The home health aide’s main duties are to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) for adults and seniors with health issues that cannot take care of these tasks by themselves. There are two categories of care that home health aides provide, and these are self-care assistance and household support.

Self-Care Assistance

  • Dressing and grooming
  • Bathing and toileting
  • Walking, moving, and transferring
  • Exercise
  • Medications and appointment reminders
  • Meal preparation, assistance with eating, and nutritious food selection

Household Support

  • Light housekeeping — vacuuming, dusting, and sweeping
  • Laundry
  • Trash removal
  • Shopping for groceries, prescriptions, and other errands
  • Companionship — conversation, reading, and escorting on outings

If you are in need of home health aide services, like our diabetes home care service, they are available any time of day or night, and can work in shifts of six hours or more. This type of care is perfect for those in need of light care, but can still accomplish some daily activities on their own.

Private Duty Nursing

While home health aides are non-medical help, the private duty nurses from Alliance Homecare are medically trained nursing professionals with multiple years of knowledge and clinical experience providing home care in Manhattan. If you utilize our private nursing care service, our staff will collaborate with your physicians and other healthcare specialists to ensure you are receiving the best care possible. Some of the areas that private duty nurses can support the health of you or your loved one include:

  • Cardio-pulmonary support
  • Diabetes management
  • General health support
  • Intravenous (IV) support
  • Enteral feeding support
  • In vitro fertilization (IVF)
  • Medication management
  • Neurological support and recovery
  • Oncology support
  • Palliative care
  • Patient advocacy
  • Pediatric care
  • Post-surgical support and recovery
  • Wound care management
  • Ostomy support

If your home health needs reach beyond minimal help, you will want to consider a private duty nurse. This care is available for any time of day, and can help to expedite healing processes, or make sure you or your loved one is comfortable at all times, and capable of dealing with difficult conditions.

Find Home Care Services In New York

When you choose Alliance Homecare in New York, you can find the home care services that you need. Whether you need home health aides, private duty nursing, or any other home care help, we are here for you! Get in touch with our team today to find out more about how we can help you and create a personalized plan to guide you or your loved ones to a speedy recovery.

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