Home Health Care Services Benefits

Rent a Daughter can help your loved one manage chronic health conditions; recover from illness, injury or surgery; or learn to live safely at home. These services are typically short-term and provided by a team of healthcare professionals that may include nurses, physical and occupational therapists and speech therapists. They are often ordered by a doctor to treat an illness, injury or surgery, and may follow up after a hospital stay or following discharge from a rehab facility. Home health services are available through many private agencies and can be covered by Medicare, Medicaid or long-term care insurance.

Unlike in a hospital or rehab facility, where a team of clinicians can monitor the actions and behaviors of patients, home health care services are usually less structured. This can make it difficult for a home health care clinician to ensure that a patient is taking medication as prescribed or receiving proper wound care. In addition, home health care clinicians are often unable to control the activities of informal caregivers. For example, a husband providing home care to his wife with diabetes may not keep her supplies of insulin in the house or she may not take her medications on time.

For this reason, it’s important for family members to be an active part of the home health care process and to advocate on behalf of their loved ones. It is also helpful to ask the doctor for a list of approved home health care providers in your area. You can also ask family and friends for recommendations. Many communities have support groups for senior citizens and may have lists of care providers. Additionally, religious groups sometimes provide meals or social activities for seniors.

It’s also a good idea to research home health care agencies by calling or visiting their websites. Look for agencies that have been rated by independent organizations, like the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services or Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Be sure to inquire about cost and the types of home health care services offered.

Non-medical home care, which helps with daily living tasks such as bathing and grooming, meal preparation, laundry, running errands and providing transportation to physician appointments and social outings, is called personal or custodial care. This type of home care is typically paid for out-of-pocket or through long-term care insurance policies.

The most important thing to remember is that home health care is not a replacement for in-home or assisted living care. It is meant to supplement the care you or your loved one receives at home and in the community, so it’s vital that you or your loved one have other sources of support for ongoing care.

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