Home Health Care

By: EconomyWatch Content   Date: 17 February 2010

About The Author

EconomyWatch Content

Follow The Money

EconomyWatch, Content Team

 

  • Dot Div
  •      

Home health care, also known as domiciliary care, is an arrangement where health care is provided at a patient’s home. The program is dispensed for people who are unable to go to the hospital or other medical facilities.

 

Home health care should not be confused with home care as the latter is a form of help where non professionals, also known as care-givers, deliver informal care. Home health care, on the other hand, is professional assistance delivered by nurses and trained professionals.

Eligibility for Home Health Care

In simpler terms, anybody who is eligible for Medicare, is also eligible for home health care as well. The fact remains that there is more than what meets the eye. The eligibility criteria are fairly complex. One might even need assistance in figuring out the process of applying for home health care. However, Medicare publishes a book called Medicare and Home Health Care, which explains the entire system covering the eligibility and coverage criteria.

 

In simpler terms, the following factors are needed to get care at home:

  • Approval by a doctor that the patient needs medical care at home.
  • Availability of at least one intermittent nursing care, speech service or physical therapy.
  • Condition of being homebound, where it implies that leaving the home requires a lot of effort and is infrequent.
  • The home caring agency must be approved of by the Medicare program

 

To find eligible home health agencies, one can make use of the Home health compare interactive tool on the Medicare web site. In case of any doubts, contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get free expert advice pertaining to Medicare.

 

Eligible people can enjoy the following facilities in home health care:

 

  • Post hospitalization care: This includes medical services needed after operations or hospitalization. 
  • Rehabilitation therapy: including physical, occupational and speech therapy needed for the patient.  
  • Hospice care: Psychological as well as  emotional care for a person with lethal illness 
  • Specific medical conditions: This includes treatment for medical conditions such as stroke, muscular dystrophies, spinal cord injuries or disc pro-lapse. 
  • Child care: For conditions in children such as Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy and other congenital disorders.

 

Remember, employing home health care requires huge funds. For an aide to visit you thrice a week, the cost may be as high as $18,000 a year.


  • Dot Div
  •      

Most Popular in Health Insurance

Related Links
blog comments powered by Disqus