As the name implies, home health care is a range of health care services provided in the comfort of your home. Hiring professionals from interim home health care or any other home health care service is considered more convenient and, surprisingly, less expensive than hospitals and nursing facilities.
If you have an aging parent or loved one who prefers to stay in their home rather than a nursing home, home health care is a great option despite their need to be under medical surveillance. Caring for an aging loved one can be challenging as you may not be able to keep up with their medical, physical, or emotional needs. It is even more challenging if they have a chronic medical condition that requires special attention and care as they may no longer be able to carry out basic activities for survival.
If you consider hiring a home health care service, this article covers the basic things you need to know.
How Does Home Health Care Work?
To get started with home health care, you’d first have to get an order from the physician to know when and how to proceed. Your doctor will then recommend a reputable health care company whose services meet your specific needs. Nevertheless, initial consultation and assessment are always carried out with the patient to develop a personalized treatment plan. If the patient in question is a loved one, it is vital to participate in the planning process to ensure that they receive a consistent quality of care.
Home health care usually begins with the execution of the treatment plan based on the physician’s orders. It is then followed by a regular update to the physician on the well-being of the progress. How often the visits from the home health professionals will depend on the patient’s needs. While some patients may require daily care, others may only require visits twice a week. Hence, the service is tailored based on specific needs.
Is Home Health Care the Same as Home Care?
Home health care, also known as home health, is different from home care. Although the two involve caring for patients in their residence, home health care is only delivered by licensed medical professionals. Home health care services include Physical, occupational, and speech therapy, post-operative care, pain control, and treatment of chronic health conditions.
On the other hand, home care offers non-clinical assistance to the patients. This includes meal preparation, companionship, laundry, driving, etc.
Who Qualifies for Home Health Care?
If you are interested in home health care for yourself or a loved one, especially if you want it to be covered by your insurance or Medicare, below are some things to do to qualify:
- It would be best if you were under the care of a physician who would recommend home health care.
- Have a “homebound” status. You require assistance when living the home or doing anything at home.
- Require intermittent nursing or therapy services.
In addition, various home health care services may present you with their specific requirements. It is essential to learn about these requirements before seeking home health care services.
What is the function of A Home Health Care Service?
As mentioned above, the primary function of a home health care service is to administer medical assistance at home. These services include:
- Injection and nutrition therapy.
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
- Ostomy care.
- Laboratory and X-ray imaging.
- Nutritional support.
- Pain control.
- Wound dressing.
- Bathing and getting dressed.
- Intravenous therapy, etc.
These services are carried out by professional nurses, doctors, and therapists.
What are the Benefits of Home Health Care?
The primary benefit of home health care is the companionship it offers to the patients, especially seniors. The sense of companionship plays a vital role in their recovery and total well-being. In some cases, seniors can take their caregivers on vacation together. In addition, senior patients or patients with chronic conditions may feel more at ease being in a familiar or homely environment.
Home health care has also been found to reduce the chances of the patient’s re-admission as the patient’s medication, lifestyle, and nutrition are thoroughly monitored.
It is essential to know that home health care services only attend to the medical needs of the patients and are usually prescribed by a medical doctor. While some home health care services may provide additional assistance in daily necessities such as cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, and transportation, a home care service is the job.