Home care or in-home care is supportive care provided in the home. Care may be provided by health care professionals who provide health care or by caregivers who provide day-to-day care and ensure that daily activities are maintained. Home care is often called "home health care" or primary care. The term home health care is often used to distinguish non-medical care from foster care and special care provided by people other than nurses, doctors, or licensed medical professionals. Home care services help adults, seniors, and children recover from hospitalization or need extra help to ensure their safety at home and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. Home care is mostly made up of licensed and unlicensed non-medical staff who assist the patient with caregiving tasks. There are also unlicensed staff who help individuals with daily tasks such as eating, bathing, cleaning the house, and preparing meals. Caregivers work to meet the needs of individuals in need and this care helps them stay in their own homes rather than in a health care facility. Non-medical home care is paid for by the individual in need or a relative. The term “private duty” refers to the out-of-pocket nature of these services, as opposed to government- or insurance-sponsored health care. These traditional differences in home care are changing as the world’s population ages, so individuals are increasingly choosing to be independent and using these services to maintain their lifestyles. Government agencies and insurance companies are increasingly subsidizing these services instead of health care facilities because they are less expensive in the long run. Specialties associated with home care include licensed nurses, registered nurses, home health aides, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. Rehabilitation services are provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and hearing pathologists, and dietitians. Professionals may work as independent practitioners, as part of a larger organization, or as part of a branch. Licensed nurse aides and caregivers are trained to provide non-medical or non-custodial care, such as helping patients get dressed, get up, go to bed, and use the bathroom. They may also prepare meals, accompany patients to medical visits, go to the grocery store, and perform a variety of errands. The terms "home care" and "in-home care" are used interchangeably in the United States to mean any type of care provided to a person in their home. These terms have historically been used interchangeably to refer to caregivers who do not have the necessary skills to do so. However, there has recently been a movement to differentiate between in-home care providers, which are licensed nurses, and home care providers, meaning non-medical care. Home care aims to make it possible for people to stay at home rather than in long-term housing or health care institutions. Caregivers provide services to patients in their own homes. These services can be a combination of professional health care services and assisted living services. Professional home health services can include medical or psychological assessment, wound care, medication education, pain management, disease education and management, physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy. Assisted living services include assistance with daily tasks such as meal preparation, medication reminders, laundry, light housekeeping, errands, shopping, transportation, and companionship. Home care is often an integral part of the recovery period after treatment, especially in the first few weeks when the patient needs the most daily assistance. Although there are differences in the terminology used to describe home care or home medical care in the United States and around the world, the description is similar for most parts. In the United States, it is estimated that most home care is informal, with family and friends providing the substantial amount of care. Health care professionals are most often associated with nurses, physical therapists, and home health aides in formal care. Other care providers include respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, and mental health therapists. Home health care is usually paid for through Medicaid, Medicare, long-term insurance, or the patient's own resources. Home health care applications or home care applications fall under the umbrella category of health care information technology. Home health information technology is "information processing applications including mechanical, electronic, and computer system software that store, retrieve, and share input information and use health care information and knowledge for communication and decision-making." Requirements are determined by each state's health department. Candidates for care are tested to become legally eligible for the title of "nursing aide." Other requirements in the United States include general background checks, drug and alcohol safety checks, and a background check. California does not provide licensing for non-health care services, so there are no requirements for admission. Full-service agencies conduct background checks of applicants, including criminal background checks. In addition, mediation agencies are trained to monitor and supervise home care providers. California licenses home care businesses under the California Home Health Administration. Florida licenses at several levels that relate to the services provided. Home aide agencies provide assistance to home care providers, although nursing and daily activities services are provided by home health agencies or nursing homes. Compensation varies by discipline, but Department of Labor statistics estimate that in 2012, home care providers were paid an hourly wage of $10.01 with an average annual wage of $20,820. A rule published by the Department of Labor titled “Application of Fair Labor Standards for Special Services” went into effect on January 1, 2015, and was written to revise “the definition of ‘attendant services’ to clarify and limit the duties that fall under the term; and third-party workers such as home care agencies will not be able to claim both exemptions.” The most significant effect of the recent law will be that more private-sector workers are protected from low wages, overtime, and record-keeping provisions for fair labor standards.” However, the Home Care Organization of America and a local home care organization sued the Department of Labor over the law being enforced in federal court. The Labor Department was subsequently appealed. The law was upheld in August 2015 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit. $710,000 was paid by Medicare, if that is the primary carrier between the two types of insurance. Also, if a patient has Medicare and needs a skilled nurse practitioner, the patient’s case is often billed by Medicare. $235,000 is paid by private insurance or his/her own family. Private insurance includes the Veterans Administration and some health plans or private insurance for iron and steel workers. There are specialists and organized companies that provide home health care services. Lotus Shiu and Lee found that home nursing is better suited for patients with serious illnesses than for patients with non-critical conditions. Modin and Verhoeff stated that the role of physicians is more important than that of nurses and care workers. From an epidemiological point of view, the risk of infectious diseases acquired by home nursing is higher than that of inpatient and home care nurses. In terms of financial expenditure, home nursing is more effective than inpatient and home care nurses. The quality angles of home nursing are reviewed by Riccio. Christensen and Grönvall examine the challenges and opportunities presented by technical communication. Although health workers provide care to mature people and family members, health workers advocate appreciation for the mutual effort.