Medicare-Covered Home Health Care

Home Health Care provides Medicare-covered medical services that can be performed in your home. To qualify, your doctor must certify that you are home-bound and need only part-time care.

Effectively vetting caregivers is key, and home health agencies often provide detailed orientations and continuing education. They also perform thorough background checks and reference verification.

Personal Care

Home health care focuses on skilled medical support, which may be provided by nurses, therapists or other licensed medical professionals. It also includes custodial care, such as help with bathing and getting dressed; transportation to and from appointments; meals delivered or prepared at the client’s home; laundry; and light housekeeping.

Home health is typically prescribed by a doctor, who will work with the home health agency to develop a care plan. The doctor will review and certify the home health plan at least once every 60 days, but it’s more common for him or her to visit on a monthly basis.

Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance and private insurers reimburse for home health services when they’re ordered by a doctor. For those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, check with your provider to find out how home health benefits are covered. In addition, Medicare covers up to 80% of the cost of durable medical equipment approved in the care plan.

Medication Management

During home health visits, nurses can assist with doctors’ orders, including prescription medication management. Caregivers may also help keep track of dietary guidelines, which is especially important when taking certain medications that can interact with food.

Participants in the study reported that they often saw patients struggling with their medical complexity and medication. This was a result of both patient-level factors (e.g., living alone, language barriers), and provider-level factors (e.g., turnover, communication problems).

The best way to improve medication management is by working with your loved one and their primary doctor to ensure the correct doses are prescribed. It is also a good idea to invest in tools that can make the process easier, such as a pill box or dispenser, and to declutter medication bottles regularly. Also, always have a backup plan in place in case your loved one is unable to get to their medication on time. This can include a care agency visiting their home to set up their meds, a personal caregiver to remind them to take their medication, or a medical alert system that sends an alarm when it’s time to take their pills.

Nutrition

Northeast Ohio Home Health Care provides medical services as prescribed by a doctor, including wound care, physical, occupational and speech therapy. Home healthcare workers may also assist patients with daily living activities such as meal preparation, transportation to and from appointments, running errands, grocery shopping and housekeeping.

Home health aides are trained to help their patients achieve healthy eating habits. They can provide tips on food preparation and safe storage, encourage healthy snacks, and make sure the patient has access to nutritious foods. They can even help to shop for and prepare meals that meet special dietary requirements, such as low sodium, high fiber or gluten-free.

Companionship

Home health aides often work with senior patients to help with activities of daily living. This includes assisting with dressing, grooming, eating and transferring. Companions focus primarily on fellowship and protection. The client can hire a companion through an agency, independently or through a care community that has specific guidelines for their residents.

Some long term care insurance policies cover companionship services. Check with your policy or speak with a rep from the company you’re considering for home health care to learn more.

Companions can also provide essential reminders to take medication or attend doctor’s appointments. This helps prevent missed doses or unplanned absences that can lead to negative health consequences. If your loved one has pets, companions can also be a great addition to ensure they are fed, exercised and cleaned up after. They can even help with pet chores such as walking a dog or cleaning the litter box. This helps reduce feelings of loneliness and improves overall quality of life.