Home health care refers to the provision of skilled medical services at the patient’s place of residence (home, adult foster home, assisted living facility or memory care unit). Services offered can include nurses, therapists and unlicensed support staff providing various forms of treatment at home for illness, injury or surgery and chronic medical conditions that need skilled nursing support at home. Home health care can be invaluable resource in supporting recovery.
Home health care can provide an ideal solution for individuals who prefer staying in their own homes with family and friends while receiving the necessary medical assistance they require. Home healthcare may help avoid hospitalization and help individuals return more quickly to daily activities; additionally, this care may prevent the need for costly nursing-home services later in life.
Home health care agencies can provide nurses to assess your needs, create a treatment plan and supervise the team of health professionals providing homecare in your home. In addition, physical therapists, speech pathologists, respiratory therapists or wound care specialists may visit regularly as needed; frequency may also vary depending on therapy types offered and support available.
Many home health care agencies can arrange non-medical, personal home health aides to assist with daily activities such as washing hair, helping prepare meals and bathing or dressing you. Furthermore, these personal aides may run errands or attend community events with you.
Medically necessary home health care services are typically covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private long-term care insurance policies. When selecting a home health care agency, ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. It should offer an array of clinical and supportive services licensed by your state as well as be Medicare certified (this means following Medicare guidelines when providing home health care). When looking for one to work with it’s best to seek recommendations from those you already know such as friends or neighbors who use services offered. When making the choice yourself ask for recommendations. When picking an agency ask friends and neighbors for recommendations as this can make the task much simpler! When selecting one.
Home health care has been shown to improve outcomes and lower costs for both patients and healthcare systems alike. It allows older individuals to remain at home instead of needing nursing-home care, and helps those living with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure or lung disease manage their symptoms more effectively, thus avoiding complications or premature hospitalization or nursing home admissions – which explains why more doctors are prescribing home health care today.