What kind of charger is your "home charger?" is it a wall charger like the one that came with your radio system? or is it a more sophisticated unit such as a Triton or other which has the ability to charge many different types of batteries of different voltages, and capacities?

Also, what is the capacity of your NiMH, and what is the charger's voltage and current?

If you're using the wall charger that came with your radio, most likely it's charging your battery at the overnight rate. This rate is really too low to do any damage, and you can use it to charge a NiMH or NiCd safely (arguably the best way to charge your batteries).

Did this happen more than once, or was it a one time occurence that's now freaking you out a little?

Usually, when a battery goes bad, it does it gradually. First, you'll find that you can make one less flight than usual, then a few weeks later 2 less flights, etc. If you've been flying for months taking numerous flights on one charge, then all of a sudden the battery goes dead after one flight, it's more likely something else is going on.

Other likely causes:
1. Battery didn't get fully charged due to a wall switch being turned off.
2. Battery didn't get fully charged due to a bad charge jack/switch.
3. Battery didn't get fully charged due to a bad charger connector.
4. Your voltmeter has bad connectors (I've had this happen)

If your battery really is going bad, the only way to check its capacity is by cycling it. There are plenty of cyclers for RC use. This is probably a good idea to have a cycler in your arsenal if you plan on staying in RC for a while.

As Rodney said, check out rcbatteryclinic. Lots of good info and advice.