HOME HEALTH
FAQs
What is home health care?
Home health care provides skilled health care services in the comfort of the patient’s home. Our home health team works collaboratively with the patient, their family and/or caregiver and the patient’s doctor to help the patient recover from illness, surgery or injury, regain their independence, and become as self-sufficient as possible.
Care is determined based on the patient’s specific needs as an individual care plan is developed in collaboration with the patient’s physician.
Some of the home health care services we offer include:
· Skilled nursing care
· Home health aides
· Physical therapy
· Occupational therapy
· Speech therapy
· Medical social work
· Disease process management
· Medication management
· Wound care
· IV therapy
· Ostomy Care
· G-Tube care
· Foley catheter care & training
What does homebound mean?
Homebound means the patient’s condition is such that:
Patients are normally unable to safely leave their home without help from others and the aid of assistive devices (such as crutches, canes, walkers or wheelchairs).
Leaving home would require considerable and taxing effort. Patients can generally leave home as often as they need for medical treatment that cannot be provided in the home and still be considered homebound. Patients are allowed brief absences from the home for some non-medical reasons, such as an occasional trip to the barber or beauty shop, to attend church, or for unique family events (like a graduation or wedding). Such trips must be infrequent and require a considerable and taxing effort.
Who is eligible for home health?
A patient must be under the care of a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner and have an order to receive home health services. Patients must have a need for skilled care and the physician/practitioner must certify that a patient is in need of one or more of the following intermittent services: skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. Patients receiving home health must be homebound, meaning that it takes a considerable taxing effort for the patient to leave home.
What should I expect on the first visit?
On the first visit, a registered nurse or physical therapist will review our admission binder including patient rights, education on home safety and emergency planning, and consent for treatment. They will also complete a full head-to-toe assessment of the patient. This assessment takes place in the home and includes interview questions for the patient and, in some cases, the caregiver as well – which allows us to identify areas in which a patient may need additional support or education.
We then communicate our findings and recommendations for the patient’s plan of care to the patient, their family and/or caregivers, and their physician to ensure all needs are met. We strive to keep our patients involved in their care from the first visit, in an effort to achieve their independence goals.
How often will I see a home health clinician?
The frequency of visits will be determined based on the clinician’s evaluation, working in collaboration with the entire care team and your provider to meet your individualized needs.
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