Home health care consists of skilled nursing and therapy or non-skilled general assistance for people who are home-bound, recovering from an illness or accident, or medically fragile and under the care of a physician. The Macomb, Michigan area contains four home health care agencies that provide a wide variety of services for people in need of in-home care.
Skilled Medical Care
Agencies that provide skilled nursing and therapy in the home near Macomb include Experts in Health Management and Personal Homecare Services. These agencies both offer nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social services, speech pathology services and non-skilled aide services. In addition, Experts in Health Management provides infusion therapy, in-home laboratory services, nutrition counseling, respiration services and has a pediatrics program as well. They can also provide medical equipment in the home.
Non-Skilled Home Care
For Macomb residents who need care in the home, but not necessarily skilled nursing care, agencies such as Senior Helpers and Comforcare Senior Services provide an array of in-home aide services. Non-skilled home services include grooming and hygiene, toileting, meal preparation, transportation and errands, light housekeeping, medication reminders, safety supervision, companionship and family respite. Comforcare Senior Services is available 24 hours per day, every day of the year and provides Alzheimer's care in addition to the other services.
Costs
Although home health care is significantly more affordable than hospital or other residential facilities, cost is still an issue for most Macomb residents. For those who require skilled medical care, Medicaid and Medicare can help in some cases, and most home health care agencies will work with your private medical insurance carrier as well. Non-skilled senior care is generally a private pay service, although Comforcare Senior Services also accept payment from long-term care insurance, auto insurance, reverse mortgage funds, worker's compensation insurance, health savings accounts, flexible savings accounts and/or veteran's benefits.
Considerations
When considering home health care agencies, ask about employee background checks and get a list of references to call. Several websites provide reviews and statistics on things like safety records for different home care agencies, which can be helpful in decision-making. Finally, consider cost and financing and whether the agency you choose is able to work with your insurance company and/or arrange a financing agreement.
Additional Information
For other sources of information about patients' rights and responsibilities, standards of patient care and general education about Michigan's home health care services, contact Michigan Home Health Association. Other organizations that provide information about home health care include the National Association of Homecare and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
