Home health services provided by Medicare offer elderly patients a chance to recuperate at home. Medicare-certified home health benefits include skilled professional care services, such as physical and occupational therapy, nursing, medical social services, dietitians and speech-language therapy. The aim of home health is to teach you to help yourself toward recovery. Therapists and nurses will help you plan a course of treatments, medications and exercises that will help you get better, regain independence and become as self-sufficient as possible. Home health is provided on an intermittent visit basis to patients who cannot leave their homes except under special circumstances. You must have a full-time family member or support person available so that you can manage safely at home.
What to Look for
If you are being discharged from a hospital or your physician recommends home health, you can choose your home health provider. You probably will receive a list of local agencies from which to choose. Your first stop should be Home Health Compare at medicare.gov, where you can examine quality assessments for home health agencies in your area. If you do not receive a list from your doctor or hospital, you can use this site to search for agencies by zip code.
When you call an agency, ask if it is Medicare certified. This means the agency can charge Medicare for your care. After asking your doctor what type of services you need, ask the agency if they provide those services. If you have language or cultural preferences, ask the agency if they have anyone on staff who speaks your language or is familiar with your cultural needs.
Find out if the agency provides supportive care. If you probably will need a nurse to help you on days when the home health agency doesn't visit, ask if the agency can provide one for you (you will have to pay for the additional care).
Ask who covers after-hour and weekend calls and find out where the staff members live. If you need help after hours, evaluate how long it would take someone to get to your home. You should also ask an administrator to describe the technology the agency uses. Does the agency provide an electronic medical record for the clinical staff? Access to an electronic medical record can quickly provide everyone on staff with your medical information and notes about allergies and clinical progress. Paper records do not disseminate medical information as comprehensively or as fast.
Does the agency provide remote monitoring? Remote patient monitoring provides clinical information to the agency between onsite visits. Many problems, if caught early, can prevent a revisit to the hospital or emergency room. Remote monitoring helps the agency see how you are doing daily.
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