Home nursing care in India: how to choose a provider and what affects the price

Type	What it covers	Who it suits
Nursing at home	Injections and IV administration, wound dressing, catheter and feeding-tube care, vital signs, medication support	People recovering from illness or surgery, or needing regular clinical care
Physiotherapy	Assessment, exercises, manual therapy, rehabilitation after surgery or stroke	Pain, reduced mobility, post-operative recovery, neurological conditions
Elder and patient care	Help with bathing, feeding, mobility, medicines reminders and companionship, by the shift or by the hour	Older adults and bedridden patients
Post-surgery and critical care	Skilled care after major surgery or for serious illness	Patients discharged with complex needs
Mother and baby care	Support for new mothers and newborns	The first weeks after delivery
Palliative and long-term care	Comfort-focused care for long illnesses	Patients with advanced or long-term conditions

It helps to be clear about which one you need. A nurse can give an injection but is not a replacement for an attendant who helps someone bathe and eat all day, and a physiotherapist is not a nurse.

Before you search, speak to the treating doctor or the hospital's discharge team. Ask:

• What care does the patient need at home, and how often?
• Does it need a nurse, a physiotherapist, an attendant, or a combination?
• For how long, roughly, and what signs mean the patient should return to hospital?
• What equipment is needed, such as a hospital bed, an oxygen concentrator, a suction machine or a wheelchair?
• Is a prescription needed for any procedure?

Some services, such as injections, IV administration and catheter care, should only be done on a doctor's prescription. Reputable providers ask for one. If a provider is willing to give injections without any prescription, that is a warning sign.

Write the plan down: medicines with dose and time, dressing instructions, exercises, diet, and emergency contacts. Share it with whoever will provide care.

Use a checklist. The aim is to be confident that the person at your door is qualified, honest and accountable.

1. Qualifications and registration. Nurses should be registered with a state nursing council, with a qualification such as GNM or B.Sc Nursing. Physiotherapists should hold a recognised degree and registration. Ask to see proof.
2. Verification. Prefer providers that have been verified by a platform or agency that checks documents. On Vaidhya, providers are reviewed before they can accept bookings.
3. Experience that matches the need. Someone experienced with elderly patients is not automatically right for a tracheostomy or a post-stroke patient. Ask directly.
4. References and reviews. Ratings and reviews from previous patients, from a source you trust, are useful. Treat very perfect ratings with some caution.
5. Clear scope and price. The provider should say what is and is not included, the price, and how overtime or extra visits are charged.
6. A way to complain. Choose arrangements where you have somewhere to go if something goes wrong, such as the platform's support.

Prices for home care vary widely, and it helps to understand why so that you can compare fairly. The main factors are:

• The type of service. A nurse administering injections costs differently from a physiotherapy session or a day attendant.
• The unit of time. Services may be priced per visit, per hour, per 12-hour shift, per 24-hour live-in day, or per package. A 24-hour attendant costs more than a single visit but less per hour.
• The provider's experience and qualification. A senior nurse or a specialist physiotherapist usually charges more.
• The patient's needs. Complex needs, such as ventilator support or heavy lifting, raise the price.
• Location and travel. Distance, traffic and the city you are in all matter.
• Timing. Night shifts, weekends and urgent bookings often cost more.
• Equipment and consumables. Dressings, syringes and other supplies may or may not be included.

On Vaidhya, each service has a price range, and each provider sets their price within it, so you can compare like with like. The price shown is what you pay, and you pay online through the app. This removes much of the uncertainty about cash payments and extras. For packages, such as a series of physiotherapy sessions, ask what is included and what happens if you cancel.

Before

• Confirm the person's name and identity, and ask to see their ID and registration.
• Check that the provider has the doctor's instructions and prescription.
• Prepare a clean space, the medicines, and the written plan.

At the start of the visit

Vaidhya uses a one-time start code. The patient or family shares a code with the provider to begin the visit, which confirms that the right person has arrived and starts the booked time. Whatever platform you use, a simple confirmation like this is good practice.

During the visit

• Have a family member present if possible, especially for the first visit.
• Expect the provider to wash or sanitise their hands, to explain what they are doing, and to ask permission.
• Do not allow procedures you were not told about, or that are outside the provider's scope.
• Note any concerns on the spot and raise them politely.

After

• Ask for a short note of what was done, observations and any advice.
• Leave honest feedback so others can choose well.
• Call the doctor if the patient seems worse. Do not wait for the next visit.

A few preparations make care safer and easier.

• A comfortable, clean space with good light and ventilation, and enough room to move around the bed.
• Safe flooring. Remove loose rugs and clutter to prevent falls, and put handrails or a non-slip mat in the bathroom.
• A bedside table with medicines, water, a phone and the written plan.
• Emergency numbers written clearly: the doctor, the nearest hospital, an ambulance, and a family member.
• Equipment arranged in advance. A hospital bed, a commode chair or an oxygen concentrator can often be rented. See our emergency readiness guide for oxygen and ambulance basics.
• A routine. Medicines, meals, exercises and rest at predictable times help both the patient and the caregiver.

Home care often rests on one family member, who gets tired. Plan for that from the start.

• Share the load among relatives, with clear days or tasks.
• Use professional help for the hardest parts, such as night shifts or lifting.
• Take breaks. A caregiver who is exhausted cannot care well.
• Know the signs of burnout: constant tiredness, irritability, poor sleep, feeling hopeless. Ask for help early.
• Keep your own health appointments. Caregivers often skip them.

If the patient is an older relative who lives alone, consider how you will keep in touch between visits, and who will notice if something changes. Regular calls, a shared calendar and a neighbour with a key can be as important as the professional visits.

Be cautious if a provider:

• Asks for payment entirely in cash with no receipt or record.
• Will not show identification or registration.
• Offers to perform procedures without a prescription or beyond their qualification.
• Pressures you to commit to a long package immediately.
• Arrives late repeatedly or sends a different person each time without telling you.
• Dismisses your concerns or the patient's discomfort.
• Gives medical advice that contradicts the doctor's plan.

Trust your instincts. It is acceptable to stop a service that feels unsafe, and to report the problem to the agency or platform.

Home care is not always the right answer. The choice depends on how complex the patient's needs are, how much family help is available, and what the doctor advises.

Option	Suits	Things to weigh
Home care	Stable patients who need nursing, therapy or help with daily activities	Needs a safe home, family support and a clear plan from the doctor
Staying in hospital	Patients who are unstable, need intensive monitoring or have complications	Not appropriate to leave early for convenience. Ask the doctor when discharge is safe
A rehabilitation or care facility	Patients needing round-the-clock skilled care or intensive therapy that is hard to arrange at home	Cost, distance from family, and the quality of the facility

Many families combine them: a hospital stay, then home nursing for the first weeks, then physiotherapy sessions and a day attendant. Review the arrangement regularly with the doctor. Needs change, and care should change with them. If you are choosing the right kind of doctor for the follow-up, our guide to choosing between systems of medicine may help, and Vaidhya for patients shows how to find and book one.

A short call can tell you a lot. Ask:

• Who exactly will come, and what are their qualification and experience with this kind of patient?
• Can I see their registration and ID?
• What is included in the price, and what is extra?
• What happens if the person is late, ill or unavailable? Is there a replacement?
• Do you need the doctor's prescription, and will you follow the plan?
• How do you handle an emergency during the visit?
• What is the cancellation and refund policy?
• How do I give feedback or make a complaint?

Clear, confident answers are a good sign. Vague answers, or reluctance to share details, are not. If a platform handles the booking, check that it also handles payment and complaints, so you are not left alone if there is a problem.

The process is designed to be clear.

1. Choose a category, such as Nursing at Home, Physiotherapy, Elder and Patient Care, Post-surgery and Critical Care, Mother and Baby Care, or Palliative and Long-term Care.
2. Pick a service and see the providers near you, with their price, rating and distance.
3. Choose a time, and pay online to confirm the booking.
4. The provider accepts the booking, and on the day you share a start code to begin the visit.
5. After the visit, rate the provider.

If you are unsure which category you need, ask your doctor, or read how Vaidhya works on the why Vaidhya page. If you are a nurse, physiotherapist or agency and would like to offer services, you can join as a provider from the app.