Knoxville Senior AdvisorWhat is the difference between home health and home care?
Home health is skilled nursing and therapy delivered in visits by a licensed, usually Medicare-certified agency under a physician's plan for a homebound patient; home care is non-medical help such as bathing, meals, housekeeping and companionship, paid by the hour.
The state's facility listings show 58 licensed home health agencies and 15 licensed hospices with offices in Knox, Blount, Anderson, Loudon, Sevier, Roane and Union counties. Tennessee licenses home health and hospice agencies, but companion-only or homemaker-only agencies do not appear as a separate category in the HFC facility listings, so check those agencies' training, insurance and background-check practices directly.
Who pays for home health in Knoxville?
Medicare pays for home health with no copay when a physician certifies the patient is homebound and needs intermittent skilled care; Medicare Advantage plans cover it too, with their own rules, and TennCare covers it for members.
Visits last an hour or less and may happen a few times a week. They end when goals are met, even if the person still needs daily help.
Who pays for private home care?
Families usually pay privately, at Tennessee's 2025 median of about $31 an hour; long-term care insurance, VA Aid and Attendance, TennCare CHOICES personal care visits and OPTIONS for Community Living can help those who qualify.
Agencies differ in minimum shift length, whether caregivers are employees or contractors, and how they handle a no-show. Ask all three questions before signing.
Can someone use home health and home care at the same time?
Yes, and many Knoxville families do: home health handles the wound care, therapy and medication teaching, while a private caregiver covers bathing, meals and supervision between visits.
Share the home health care plan with the private caregiver so everyone is working toward the same goals.
How do we choose an agency in East Tennessee?
For home health, confirm an active HFC license on the state's facility listing and check whether the agency serves your ZIP code; for private home care, ask about background checks, training, supervision and backup coverage.
Our home health and hospice roster lists every licensed agency with an office in the seven counties.
Side by side
| Home health | Private home care | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of help | Skilled nursing and therapy | Personal care, meals, companionship |
| Payer | Usually Medicare, no copay | Usually private funds |
| Schedule | Short visits under a plan of care | Hourly shifts you choose |
| License | HFC home health license | Not a separate HFC license category |
Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. chapters 0720-26, 0720-21 and 0720-18; Health Facilities Commission, TennCare and Department of Disability and Aging pages; CareScout and VA rate tables, as cited above. See our editorial standards.
