What is the difference between a caretaker and a home nurse?
A caretaker (general duty attendant) helps with daily living — bathing, feeding, mobility and companionship. A home nurse is medically trained and can give injections, dress wounds, manage catheters and handle post-operative care. Families needing clinical tasks should hire a nurse, not an attendant.
Key takeaways
- Caretaker / GDA: non-clinical daily living support.
- Home nurse: clinical tasks, holds a nursing qualification (GNM, ANM or B.Sc Nursing).
- Physiotherapist: mobility and rehabilitation, usually visiting rather than live-in.
- Hiring an attendant for clinical work is the most common and most dangerous mistake families make.
Which professional does what
| Professional | Can do | Cannot do | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caretaker / GDA | Bathing, feeding, mobility, companionship, medication reminders | Injections, wound care, clinical judgement | A parent who is frail but medically stable |
| Home nurse | Injections, wound dressing, catheter care, vitals, post-operative care | Prescribe medication | Recovery after surgery, bedridden or chronic illness |
| Physiotherapist | Mobility, strength, post-stroke and post-surgery rehabilitation | Daily living support, clinical nursing | Regaining movement after a fall, stroke or surgery |
Why the distinction matters
The single most common hiring mistake in Indian eldercare is asking an attendant to do a nurse's job. An attendant is not trained to administer injections, manage a catheter, or spot the early signs of a pressure sore or an infection. When a parent is recovering from surgery, has a wound, or is bedridden, that gap becomes a medical risk rather than an inconvenience.
How Slesea separates them
Slesea lists caretakers, nurses, physiotherapists and doctors as distinct professional types, and shows each professional's qualifications and years of experience on their public portfolio. A nurse's credentials are checked before their profile goes live, so families can tell a qualified nurse from an attendant without having to interrogate anyone.
People also ask
Last updated: 13 July 2026 · Answered by Slesea Senior Care