The basics of home health care
Posted on July, 14, 2011 by admin
Rarely are recently-discharged patients from the hospital ready to be self-sufficient members of society. They need a phase of transition, and home health care is this transition just like a halfway house is a transition for ex-convicts.
What home health care is
Home health care, or just “home care,” is supportive and rehabilitative care performed in the home of the recently-discharged patient, provided by family and friends. Sometimes a health care professional is required for home care, but rarely is this a full-time duty. A nurse may be called in case of an emergency or to teach the patient’s family and friends a convalescent duty, and then she goes on her way.
Other services can be provided by a health care professional depending on the difficulty of the skill involved. A nurse may need to assess the respiratory status of a patient after a bout of pneumonia, but family can provide ostomy care, insulin injections, and feedings.
What home health care is not
Home care is not when a nurse or health care professional is needed to take care of a patient full-time and for an extended period of time. As a transition period to a normal life, home care doesn’t necessitate a nurse. If it did, then the patient is usually better off in the hospital.
Paying for home health care
As with any medical expense, public and private medical insurance will cover all or none of home care depending on the importance of the care. For instance, ventilator care or some other complex skill will most likely be covered by insurance, but custodial care is usually an out-of-pocket expense.
Most insurance plans, and especially Medicaid, require a medical doctor to order the service or care, and the patient must be homebound for the duration of the home care.
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