Home Health Care

            Did you know that November is Home Health month? Home health is skilled health care brought to a patient in the comfort of wherever they call home as prescribed by a doctor. Just like traditional health care provided in a hospital, clinic, or office, type of care is dictated by the diagnosis, individual patient goals, and progress.

Are home health care and hospice the same thing?

No. Hospice is comfort care for patients with a prognosis of six months or less if their disease runs its natural course.

Who provides care?

Home care is provided by an array of skilled health care professionals. In the rehabilitation setting, provision of care includes but is not limited to registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech/language pathologist, and acupuncturists. Length of service (amount, frequency, and time period) is determined by the goals of care or until a plateau occurs.

Does a patient have to be homebound to receive care?

Yes and no. A homebound patient is definitely eligible for home care. However, a person who has notable difficulty leaving the house may also qualify. Notable difficulty leaving the house can come in many forms, including physical disability, mental health issues, lack of transportation, and even inappropriate entry/exitways to the home.

Examples:

·         Physical disability – inability to get out of bed due to weakness from prolonged bed rest.

·         Mental health issues – extreme anxiety upon leaving the home

·         Lack of transportation – someone with no family members or a caregiver to assist with getting to appointments

·         Inappropriate entry/extiways to the home – someone who has had a hip or a knee replacement but lives on the 2nd floor of an apartment complex with no elevator

Is home health care indefinite?

Home health care goals are set similarly to inpatient (in hospital) and outpatient goals. Home health care would end when all goals are met for this setting, the patient has improved enough to attend outpatient therapy, or the patient's condition can no longer be controlled at home.

To find out more about how to achieve your rehabilitation goals, contact a health care professional at Align Wellness Studio.