---
title: "Private duty nursing: what it is and who pays"
description: "Private duty nursing means nurses providing long shifts of care at home. How it differs from home health and aides, and why Medicare doesn't pay."
url: https://seniorchoicecare.com/care-options/private-duty-nursing/
updated: 2026-10-10
site: Senior Choice Care
---

Explainer

# Private duty nursing at home: what it is and who pays

When a parent needs nursing tasks for hours at a time, not just a quick visit, families start hearing about private duty nursing.

**2 minute read** Updated October 9, 2026Written by the Senior Choice Care team

In short

Private duty nursing is skilled care at home from a licensed nurse for extended shifts, sometimes around the clock. It differs from Medicare home health, which is part-time or intermittent visits. Medicare does not cover private duty nursing; families pay privately or through long-term care insurance or a state program if eligible.

**Written by the Senior Choice Care team** Updated October 9, 2026. Facts are checked against the sources listed at the end of this page. General information; every family is different.

**On this page**

1. [ How it compares](#s-how-it-compares)
2. [When families use it](#s-when-families-use-it)
3. [Who pays](#s-who-pays)
4. [Questions families ask](#s-faq)

## How it compares

^ Three kinds of help at home

|  | Home care aide | Medicare home health | Private duty nursing |
|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Who | Aides and companions | Nurses, therapists, aides | Licensed nurses |
| How often | Hours you schedule | Part-time or intermittent visits | Long shifts, up to 24 hours |
| Medicare | No | Yes, if homebound and eligible | No |

## When families use it

- Complex medical needs at home, such as frequent suctioning or tube feeding
- After a hospital stay, to bridge until home health or a facility is set up
- At the end of life, alongside hospice

## Who pays

Medicare's home health benefit covers only part-time or intermittent care, and Medicare lists private duty nursing among the services it doesn't cover in rehab settings. Long-term care insurance may pay, and some state Medicaid programs cover nursing at home for people who qualify.

## Questions families ask

### Does Medicare pay for private duty nursing?

No. Medicare covers part-time or intermittent home health, not full shifts of nursing.

### Is private duty nursing the same as home health?

No. Home health is visit-based skilled care ordered by a doctor. Private duty nursing provides a nurse for long shifts.

### Can I hire a private nurse through an agency?

Yes. Many home care agencies place nurses. Check the license and ask what the nurse can and can't do.

### Is private duty nursing covered with hospice?

The hospice benefit includes nursing visits, and continuous home care during a crisis, but not ongoing private shifts.

## Sources

- [Medicare.gov: Home health services coverage](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services)
- [Medicare.gov: Inpatient rehabilitation care coverage](https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/inpatient-rehabilitation-care)
- [National Institute on Aging: Services for older adults living at home](https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/services-older-adults-living-home)

## Read next

- [Help at home](https://seniorchoicecare.com/care-options/home-care/)
- [Home care vs nursing home](https://seniorchoicecare.com/compare/home-care-vs-nursing-home/)
- [24-hour care](https://seniorchoicecare.com/guides/24-hour-care/)

### Already on Medicare? Check your 2027 plan options.

Open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. If doctors, prescriptions or health needs are changing, it is worth a look before the window closes.

[Medicare Advantage guides](https://seniorchoicecare.com/medicare-advantage/)

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