About Non-Medical Support Services

As Americans lead longer lives, many live with chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure or pulmonary disease. In fact, a recent study of Medicare beneficiaries revealed that 8 million people are living with five or more chronic illnesses, and their care accounts for two-thirds of Medicare's expenditures.

Frequently people with chronic conditions need ongoing medical care. Often, they need supportive care such as assistance with bathing and dressing, meal preparation, and light housekeeping in order to remain at home. These services are not covered by Medicare, however such services may be covered by one of Pennsylvania's aging programs run by the local Area Agency on Aging or long-term care insurance. Some families can pay for this care themselves.

Homecare agencies across Pennsylvania usually offer this type of non-medical, continuous care on an hourly basis. There are approximately 500 agencies statewide that provide this personal care in most every county. These include both home health agencies that have a Medicare-certified agency as well as a private duty or personal care agency. Because the agencies providing only non-medical support are not required to be licensed, families frequently have difficulty locating them. You can find them on this website under locate a Homecare Provider. These agencies are listed by the counties they serve.