Home Care by Athena released a resource for families on the difference between licensed non-medical home care and skilled home health, a distinction the agency says families most often miss. The locally owned, state-licensed Home Care Organization published the explanation to clarify the different roles of skilled home health services and non-medical assistance with daily activities following a hospital or rehabilitation stay.
The resource describes home health services as physician-ordered skilled care, typically nursing or therapy delivered in short visits over a limited period and often covered when medically necessary. Home care is non-medical support with daily living that families arrange directly. It may include bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, medication reminders, transportation, housekeeping, companionship and supervision, scheduled for a few hours a week or around the clock. Traditional Medicare does not pay for non-medical home care.
“Families sometimes assume that arranging home health means someone will be there to help throughout the day,” said Carly Pickern, founder and CEO of Home Care by Athena. “In reality, skilled nursing and therapy visits are often limited to specific times. Families may still need to arrange help with meals, mobility, and other daily activities between visits.”
The agency’s resource notes that the two services often overlap after a hospital or rehabilitation stay. Home health addresses wounds, therapy exercises, and medication changes. Home care covers the hours between those visits: safe bathroom transfers, meals that follow a diet order, rides to follow-up appointments, and overnight presence when fall risk is highest. With family permission, Home Care by Athena shares visit notes with the home health nurse so the two plans do not operate in isolation.
Carly Pickern, founder and CEO of Home Care by Athena, leads the agency's care operations. The public facility record lists the agency as licensed under California Home Care Organization license 314700059, issued June 19, 2026, by the California Department of Social Services, Home Care Services Bureau, and names Strategic Athena LLC as the licensee.
The agency's website also outlines its caregiver screening, training, and supervision procedures, including state-required registration and background checks, tuberculosis screening, and required insurance.
“Consistency matters when care is provided in someone's home,” Pickern continued. “The process includes preparing caregivers before their first shift and introducing them to the household in advance. That helps families understand who will be providing care and how the schedule will be managed.”
Employee status provides payroll, workers’ compensation, liability coverage, backup when a caregiver is ill, and ongoing supervision with the organization rather than the family. Training before the first shift includes state-required content plus orientation in safe transfers, personal care technique, infection control, emergency procedures, communication, documentation, and client rights. Caregivers assigned to memory-loss cases complete additional dementia-specific instruction. Supervisory visits and annual continuing education continue after hire.
Work is organized as one written plan rather than a fixed package. Companion care covers conversation, meals, errands, and a daily routine. Personal care covers bathing, dressing, mobility, and bathroom help. Dementia and Alzheimer’s care emphasizes calm routines and redirection. Post-hospital care focuses on the first days and weeks at home, when additional assistance may be needed during recovery and the transition from hospital or rehabilitation care.
Twenty-four-hour care uses rotating caregivers when a person can no longer be left alone safely. Hours may rise or fall as needs change. The agency does not administer medications, provide wound care, give injections, or deliver therapy; it refers those tasks to home health or hospice when needed.
Home Care by Athena draws on more than 20 years of combined in-home care experience. Pickern leads assessments, care plans, caregiver matching, and follow-ups. Troy Greenway oversees client relations, hiring systems, scheduling technology, and relationships with local discharge planners and senior communities. Care Coordinator Ginelle Franklin Rowe manages caregiver introductions, schedule coverage, and adjustments to care routines. The agency serves Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Loomis, and Auburn, as well as nearby Placer County communities including Penryn, Newcastle, and North Auburn.
Care begins with an in-home assessment and a written plan tailored to each client's needs. The agency employs caregivers directly and manages scheduling, supervision, and adjustments to care as needs change.
Home Care by Athena is a locally owned, state-licensed Home Care Organization providing non-medical in-home senior care in Roseville and South Placer County. The agency operates under California Home Care Organization license 314700059, with Strategic Athena LLC listed as the licensee by the Home Care Services Bureau of the California Department of Social Services.
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For more information about Home Care by Athena, contact the company here:
Home Care by Athena
Carly Pickern
916-546-2030
carly@homecarebyathena.com
919 Reserve Dr Suite 125, Roseville, CA 95678