Many Home Care agencies for Seniors offer a
variety of professional and supportive services
to individuals who are homebound and require
skilled care by a registered nurse or therapist.
Many hospitals and clinics provide home care
under their direct supervision of the patient’s
physician, and include services to new mothers
and babies, pediatric patients, and the adult
patient, especially the geriatric patient.
Registered Community Health Nurses
Registered nurses provide services, which
include evaluation, health teaching, and nursing
assessment of the patient’s health status. In
addition, they provide direct nursing care
including injections, sterile dressings,
catheter care, as well as more complex
procedures such as IV therapy. There are Home
Care nurse specialists for wound and ostomy
care. Registered nurses are available on an
on-call basis 24 hours per day to home care
patients.
Rehabilitation Therapy
Physical therapists, occupational therapists and
speech therapists provide skilled rehabilitation
services to homebound patients to ensure their
return to maximum independence.
Medical Social Workers
Social workers provide emotional support to help
patients and significant others cope with an
illness or disability and assist them in long
term planning for the patient’s need.
Home Health Aides
While under the care of a nurse or therapist, a
patient may be provided with a home health aide
to assist with personal care, exercise and other
tasks such as meal preparation when needed.
Laboratory Service and Medical Equipment
In addition to skilled services, Home Care
agencies can also arrange for laboratory
services at home, and assist in obtaining
medical/surgical supplies or equipment.
How Patients are Referred
Anyone including physicians, family members,
hospital discharge planning coordinators,
community organizations, or patients themselves
may make referrals to their Hospital’s Home Care
departments, HMO (Medicare or Medicaid), and
their State’s certified Home Health agencies.
Prior hospitalization is not a prerequisite. All
hospitals have central Intake nurses who are
available to answer questions.
Who is eligible?
Patients under the care of a physician, whose
home environment allows for safe, effective
treatment, are eligible for participation in
Home Care programs. Participants may have an
acute illness or an acute episode of a chronic
illness, or may need continued health care
following hospitalization.
Paying for Home Care Services
Most health insurance carriers, Medicare,
Medicaid, Workers Compensation/No Fault
insurance, and other private health insurance
companies will cover Home Care services. Sliding
scale and financial screening are available.
The Home Care Choice
Home Health Care agencies and certified health
care providers can deliver personalized quality
health care while offering the individual the
physical comforts and emotional security of his
or her own home.
Eligibility
Patients are eligible for the Home Care program
if they have a skilled need for nursing or
rehabilitative therapy. Home care allows persons
to recover in the comfort of their own home.
What Certified Home Care services are available?
How to evaluate the competency of a Home Care
provider?
-
Make sure that the provider is certified by
your State’s Department of Health
-
Are accredited Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
-
Are member your State’s Home Care Association
For more information, talk to your doctor,
health care provider or call your nearest
hospital and ask to talk to a Home Health Care
representative.
