What is Home Health Care?

Home health care helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, given the limits of their medical condition. It covers a wide range of services and can often delay the need for long-term nursing home care.

More specifically, home health care may include occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, and even skilled nursing. It may involve helping the elderly with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Or it may include assistance with cooking, cleaning, other housekeeping jobs, and monitoring one’s daily regimen of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Our At Home Healthcare Services

Skilled Nursing
Licensed nurses provide home health care services to assess and monitor the patient's health needs educating patients and caregivers in collaboration with the patient's Primary Care Physician (PCP). Example of nursing care provided in the home: Medication management, Wound care, Ostomy care, Post-surgical care, Bowel and bladder management, disease education, urinary catheter insertion/maintenance, injections and infusion.

Physical Therapy
Physical Therapists provide home health care services to help patients regain functional mobility and gross motor skills through therapeutic exercise, balance activities and ambulation training.

Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapists provide home health care services to help patients regain daily living skills by using fine motor, cognitive, perceptual and sensory tasks. 

Speech Therapy
Speech Therapists provide home health care services to help patients regain their ability to produce and understand speech as well as facilitate communication skills and manage swallowing disorders.

Medical Social Workers
Medical Social Worker specialize in evaluating the social and emotional factors that affect the ill and disabled.  By connecting patients and families with community resources the Medical Social Worker helps families and patients manage the stress associated with health challenges.

Home Health Aides
Home Health Aides assist patients in with home health services such as completing their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and with personal care including bathing.

How Do I Qualify For Home Health Care?

If you have Medicare, you can use your home health benefits if you meet all the following conditions: 

  1. You must be under the care of a doctor, and you must be getting services under a plan of care established and reviewed regularly by a doctor.
  2. You must need, and a doctor must certify that you need, one or more of the following:
    • Intermittent skilled nursing care
    • Physical therapy
    • Speech-language pathology services
    • Continued occupational therapy
  3. You must be homebound, and a doctor must certify that you’re homebound. To be homebound means the following:
    • Leaving your home isn't recommended because of your condition.
    • Your condition keeps you from leaving home without help (such as using a wheelchair or walker, needing special transportation, or getting help from another person).
    • Leaving home takes a considerable and taxing effort. A person may leave home for medical treatment or short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as attending religious services. You can still get home health care if you attend adult day care, but you would get the home care services in your home. 

If you have questions concerning home health or do believe you need services, please give us a call at (214) 441-0791.