Home health care professionals
enable patients to receive medical
attention in the comfort and
convenience of their home. Many
services can be provided in the home
that once required a visit to the
physician's office or hospital.
Services are as individualized as
the patient being helped and range
from simple injections to complete
care for a bedridden, seriously ill
patient. Depending on your needs,
you might receive home health
services once or you might see
various health care providers daily.
The goal of home health care is to
allow you to recover in the comfort
and convenience of your own home
with the important advantage of
skilled medical treatment.
Home health care agencies can
usually provide registered nurses,
nursing assistants, and physical
therapists. Some will also have
speech therapists, occupational
therapists, and social workers.
These professionals can provide
valuable linkage between the
physician and the patient. To ensure
that you receive the very best care
possible, our staff will coordinate
your home health needs with the
appropriate providers. Your doctor
always supervises your medical care.
Medicare mandates certain criteria
that a patient must meet before
being referred to Home Health. You
should be aware of these Medicare
rules as many private insurance
policies follow Medicare guidelines.
To qualify, the patient must:
- Require intermittent skilled
nursing care or physical/speech or
occupational therapy. There must be
a medically predictable recurring
need for skilled services, those
services reasonable and necessary to
the treatment of an illness or
injury, which must be performed by
or under the direct supervision of a
registered nurse or therapist if the
safety of the patient is to be
assured and the medically desired
result achieved.
- Be
homebound, confined to the home due
to illness or injury. Homebound
patients need not be bedridden, but
leaving their residence must require
considerable effort or supportive
devices, such as a cane, wheelchair,
or the help of another person.
Infrequent absences from home are
allowed primarily for medical care.
- Be under a physician's care,
who in turn, provides the home
health agency with written orders
for home care.
- Receive
services from a certified home
health agency.
Hospice
criteria is somewhat different, in
that no homebound status is
required. To qualify for Hospice,
the patient must:
-
Elect Hospice benefit.
- Have
a terminal illness certified by a
physician.
- Select a Hospice
program that is Medicare certified.
Many patients will never need
home health care, but those who do
find that it provides great relief
and comfort as well as good care.
They know there is a professional
involved in their care that can be
contacted any time day or night to
make an assessment and relay
information to the physician. The
physician knows that this
professional will provide up to date
information on the patient's
condition and assist in providing
complete care to each person.
If you feel you or your loved
one would benefit from medical
services provided in the home,
please ask your physician for a home
health care referral.
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