Skilled Nurse or Home Health Aide/CNA?
When catastrophic injuries require long-term care at home, one of the most disputed questions in a life care plan is whether the individual needs a home health aide/CNA or skilled nursing services—and for how many hours. This distinction is not simply a cost issue; it is a clinical and regulatory determination based on medical necessity, functional limitations, and state Nurse Practice Acts. This article explains the difference between non-skilled attendant care and skilled nursing (LPN/LVN vs. RN), and why RN credentials are essential for developing accurate, defensible, evidence-based life care plan recommendations.
