Home Health Care Services Steps

Rent a Daughter is specialized medical care that is delivered at the patient's home. It can be administered by a variety of medical professionals including nurses, physical and occupational therapists and speech therapists. Home health care may also include wound care, medication management and injections.

Typically, home health care is short-term and intermittent. Its goal is to teach the patient or caregiver how to care for themselves at home so that they can manage their condition and live as independently as possible. In some cases, home health care is also used as a bridge to a long-term care facility.

The first step in finding home health care services is to ask friends and family members for recommendations. Also, check with your doctor and local senior centers or community organizations that serve older adults. Many times, a social worker can provide referrals to local home care providers.

If the physician determines that a person needs home health care, Medicare will usually cover most of the cost. Private insurance or long-term care insurance can sometimes cover the cost as well. Before starting home health care, the home health agency will explain to the patient in writing how much Medicare will pay and what the cost is for any items or services that aren't covered.

Some patients who need home health care are referred by doctors for specific conditions such as pneumonia, heart failure or cancer. Others are referred to home health by their long-term care insurance companies. Home health aides can help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and meal preparation. They can also assist with errands and transportation to doctor appointments.

In addition to nurses and therapists, home health teams can include dietitians who can provide nutritional counseling and a social worker who can help find community resources. Often, a nurse will act as the case manager and supervise the other members of the home health team.

One challenge of home health care is that the clinician doesn't have the same level of supervision as a hospital-based team. This can make it difficult to monitor the quality of care that is being given by family members and other informal caregivers. For example, a husband may give his diabetic wife insulin at irregular intervals rather than according to the prescribed schedule.

Research is ongoing to learn more about the effectiveness of home health care, particularly in terms of how it compares with traditional hospital-based care. In some studies, researchers have found that home health care is as effective as other forms of care for certain conditions. The results of these studies will help to guide the future direction of home health care.

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