Home healthcare allows people to remain in their own environment surrounded by family, friends and familiar places of worship. Depending on your needs and program eligibility, home health care may include skilled nursing services, medical social work support services, physical therapy or speech therapy services and more.
Due to an aging population, better outcomes, and lower costs, Medicare FFS and MA beneficiaries have an appetite for home healthcare; however, its adoption can be hindered by various barriers.
Caregiver Services
Home health care services allow patients to recover from illness, surgery or injury at their own home with less expense than moving into long-term nursing facilities. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance plans often cover home healthcare.
Home healthcare agencies can help ensure patients are receiving quality assistance at home from informal caregivers by monitoring and supervising home health aides to ensure you’re receiving optimal care.
Home healthcare agencies often also provide non-skilled personal and custodial services such as meal preparation and bathing assistance; this form of long-term residential care.
Medical Services
Home healthcare facilities provide various medical services, such as visiting nurses and physical therapy. Professionals at these facilities collaborate closely with a patient’s physician to create care plans that address his or her specific goals and achieve them successfully.
These agencies typically utilize advanced disease-management tools such as home telehealth to track patient progress and control health costs. Furthermore, they must meet rigorous standards such as periodic inspections and bonding requirements to maintain accreditation status.
Medicare covers home health services and equipment provided by an approved agency; however, patients may incur 20% coinsurance and the standard Part B deductible payment. Home healthcare costs depend upon factors like location and other considerations.
Dietitian Services
Home health care allows patients of all ages to recover from illnesses and injuries in the comfort of their own homes rather than spending days or weeks at a hospital or rehabilitation facility. Patients can receive nursing and therapy services from an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals, offering care from all aspects of medical treatment.
Home healthcare facilities also provide dietitian services. Registered Dietitians Nutritionists can offer nutritional support to their clients and interdisciplinary treatment teams, including providing support for psychiatric patients, individuals in group homes or with special needs children and adults, or those suffering from co-occurring physical and mental health disorders.
Dietitians provide one-on-one care with their patients, making dietitian services an integral component of home healthcare models.
Laboratory Tests
Home healthcare facilities now provide laboratory tests that can help early detect health conditions (like cholesterol and hepatitis) to stop them from worsening (i.e. cholesterol and hepatitis testing).
Laboratory-in-a-Box clients have several ways of collecting specimens: using plasma tubes included with the kit or dropping off at a nearby lab collection center; prearranging an individual Labcorp drop box or shipping via FedEx. Test results will then be sent back via Labcorp Link or fax.
These tests may provide useful information, but they should never replace professional medical guidance and treatment. Furthermore, it’s crucial that instructions are strictly followed so the results are as accurate as possible.
Medicine & Medical Equipment
Home healthcare equipment consists of devices for measuring, monitoring and treating health conditions at home. These may include first aid equipment, urological and respiratory equipment. Home healthcare devices may also administer medications in tablet form or liquid or aerosol form.
Home healthcare workers face many hazards in the workplace, such as bloodborne pathogens, infectious diseases and injuries from patient lifting. Furthermore, when traveling between homes for visits they face risks on the road – this includes being struck by cars. Some larger traditional home healthcare agencies now provide non-medical services that reduce hospitalization risk while improving outcomes at reduced cost than more expensive healthcare facility treatments.
Transportation
Many home healthcare facilities now provide transportation services to ensure clients make their appointments. Not only can these services generate additional revenue streams, they can also address one of the main reasons seniors fail to show up at medical appointments on time.
Home health agencies are overseen by the federal government to ensure they meet minimum safety and quality of care requirements. Home health agencies must undergo an initial federal certification survey as well as unannounced state licensure surveys at least every two years.
Medical home healthcare services, as prescribed by a physician, may include wound care or physical, occupational and speech therapy services. Non-clinical home healthcare involves assistance with daily tasks like bathing, grooming, running errands or meal prep.