What is home health care and why do I need it?
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Home Health Care is skilled nursing
care and certain other health care services that you receive in your home for
the treatment of an illness or injury. This could also include physical,
occupational, and speech therapy. Medicare Part A will cover home health
expenses at 100%. Private duty home care is not covered by Medicare and is paid
for by the individual receiving the service. This type of service usually
includes housekeeping and other routine personal care services (cooking,
laundry, and shopping, and live in care givers.).
This could also include physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Medicare Part A will cover home health expenses at 100%. Private duty home care is not covered by Medicare and is paid for by the individual receiving the service. This type of service usually includes housekeeping and other routine personal care services (cooking, laundry, and shopping, and live in care givers.).
This could also include physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Medicare Part A will cover home health expenses at 100%. Private duty home care is not covered by Medicare and is paid for by the individual receiving the service. This type of service usually includes housekeeping and other routine personal care services (cooking, laundry, and shopping, and live in care givers.).
II. How to get Medicare Home Health
Care:
• Your doctor must determine you
need medical care in your home.
• You will need at least one
of the following services: skilled nursing care, physical or speech
therapy.
• You must be homebound. Homebound
means that leaving your home is a considerable and taxing effort
III. What qualifies as Skilled Home
Care Services?
• Wound Care for pressure ulcers or
surgical wounds
• Physical Therapy (fall prevention,
recent fractures, recent stroke, TIA's, endurance issues, or transfer
training)
• Occupational Therapy (recent
strokes, ADL training-such as dressing, grooming, and bathing)
• Speech Therapy (swallowing issues,
aspiration, recent stroke, pneumonia)
• Patient and Caregiver
education
• IV Therapy
• Injections (diabetes, B-12)
• Medication Management
IV. Home Health vs. Hospitalization:
• In many cases home health care
services may be appropriate to prevent an individual from being hospitalized.
• Most patients and their families
prefer to stay at home rather than be placed in the hospital or skilled nursing
facility when their condition allows them to remain at home.
• Home health care is usually less
expensive and in some cases just as effective as care in a hospital or skilled
nursing facility.
Home health care assists a person in
their recovery from an illness, accident, surgery, or change in their medical
condition. Professional health care and rehabilitation services are delivered
in a person's home environment under the direction of their personal
physician.
Services offered include:
Skilled Nursing
24/7
Availability
Physical Therapy
Wound/Ostomy Care
Occupational Therapy
Infusion Therapy
Speech Therapy
PT/TNR results in home
Home Care Aides
Pain
Management
Medical Social Workers
Rehabilitation
Who pays for home health care?
If you are Medicare eligible and
qualified for care, there is no out of pocket cost to you. Home care can also
be paid for by many private insurances or a variety of public programs.
To qualify for Medicare home health
services, there are five basic requirements:
1. Your physician must determine
that you need home health care services
2. Your own physician must write the
orders for home health services, and oversee your care
3. You must need skilled services
that are provided by a nurse or therapist
4. Your physician must determine
that you are homebound, requiring considerable effort and help to leave home
Because benefits and requirements
can vary, we can help you check with payors about your specific benefits, even
before beginning services, so you can have this information at the start of
care.
-Medicare pays 100% of the cost for
home health care for individuals 65 years of age or over or permanently
disabled.
-Private insurance will pay for home
health care. Benefits vary per policy and verification of benefits is required.
-Medicaid pays 100%.
Pre-authorization is required.
-Workers Compensation Insurance.-Private
Pay.
We can HELP you in a number of
ways.
·
Patient specific health data with observations by a professional nurse are
reported to the physician.
- Helping patients and their families to understand and follow physician's orders regarding nutrition, special diets, medications, and general nursing care:
·
Assisting with home management of catheters and feeding tubes.
· Giving
injections ordered by the physician and teaching patients and family the proper
techniques for doing so.
· Helping
patients restore strength and independence through physical therapy
exercises,
- Educating diabetic patients on how to manage diet, insulin, and other health related measures.
- Enabling the patient with ostomy how to resume a full, active life.
·
Assisting patients with bathing and personal grooming (ADLS).
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