What is companion care (and what it isn’t)?
Companion care is non-medical company and everyday help for an older adult at home: conversation, meals, errands, rides and light housekeeping.
What is companion care? It’s non-medical company and everyday help for an older adult at home: conversation, meals, errands, rides and light housekeeping. Florida law draws a firm line around it, because a companion may not provide hands-on personal care. This guide shows how companion care differs from personal care and from home health care, so you can match the right help to your parent.
What is companion care?
Companion care is non-medical help at home for older adults who want to keep living on their own. A companion keeps your parent company and helps with meals, errands, rides and light housekeeping. It doesn’t include nursing, medication administration or hands-on personal care.
Florida Statutes section 400.462 defines a companion as “a person who spends time with or cares for an elderly, handicapped, or convalescent individual” and “accompanies such individual on trips and outings and may prepare and serve meals to such individual.”
What a companion does
At Sonshine Companion Care, companion care means:
- Conversation and company
- Meal planning and preparation
- Cleaning and laundry
- Shopping and errands
- Rides to appointments and outings
- Medication reminders (reminders only, never giving medication)
- Trip and outing planning
- Pet management
- Home well-being visits
You pick what your parent needs and set the days and hours.
What a companion doesn’t do
A companion doesn’t give nursing care, doesn’t give medication and doesn’t provide hands-on personal care. Florida law says so plainly: “A companion may not provide hands-on personal care to a client.” Florida law says the same of a homemaker.
Companion care also isn’t assisted living. Your parent stays in their own home.
Who companion care is for
Companion care tends to fit a parent who can manage most of the day alone but would benefit from company and a hand with the rest. A few common situations:
- Your parent lives alone and misses regular conversation.
- Meals, shopping or driving have become harder.
- You live out of town and want someone local to check in.
- You’re the family caregiver and need a regular break (see what is respite care).
If your parent needs hands-on help every day or medical care, companion care alone won’t be enough, and it’s better to know that early.
Companion care vs personal care vs home health care
| Companion care | Personal care | Home health care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Company and everyday help at home | Hands-on help with daily living | Health and medical services at home |
| Examples | Conversation, meals, errands, rides | Dressing, bathing, eating, personal hygiene | Services of a medical nature furnished at home |
| Hands-on help? | No, by Florida law | Yes | Yes, as medical services |
| Medical? | No | Not necessarily | Yes |
The table uses Florida’s own wording. Section 400.462 defines personal care as “assistance to a patient in the activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, eating, or personal hygiene.” It defines home health services as “health and medical services and medical supplies furnished to an individual in the individual’s home or place of residence.”
In plain terms, companion care is company and errands, personal care is hands-on help with the body’s daily needs and home health care is medical.
How Florida treats the difference
Florida puts companions and homemakers in their own category, separate from home health. Section 400.509 says that “any person that provides companion services or homemaker services must register with the agency,” meaning the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
That gives you a practical question for any agency you call. Ask for its AHCA license or registration number, and ask exactly what its caregivers do and don’t do. If your parent needs help with bathing, dressing or toileting, ask us too, and we’ll tell you plainly what we provide.
How to start with Sonshine
Sonshine serves families in Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, Pace and Milton.
- Call or send a message. Tell us who needs help and what a good week looks like. Call 1 to 3 days before you want care to start.
- Meet for free. Your first consultation is free, at your home or wherever your parent lives.
- Set the schedule. You choose the days per week and hours per day.
- Care begins. The first week is prepaid, then you pay week to week.
Questions about companion care
What is the difference between companion care and home health care?
Companion care is non-medical company and everyday help. Home health care is medical. Florida defines home health services as “health and medical services and medical supplies furnished to an individual in the individual’s home or place of residence.”
Can a companion help with bathing?
No. Florida law says a companion may not provide hands-on personal care, and it defines personal care as including bathing and dressing. If your parent needs that kind of help, ask any agency exactly what it provides.
Can companion care help my parent stay independent at home?
Yes, for many families. A companion handles meals, errands, rides and company so your parent can stay in their own home and keep their routine. If your parent needs hands-on or medical care, you may need more than companion care.
Talk with us about companion care
If you aren’t sure what your parent needs, start with a free consultation. Tell us what a good week looks like, and we’ll help you sort out which kind of care fits. See all our services or request care.
Request care Call (850) 764-6638
Related: What is respite care? and In-home care vs assisted living.
