Home Health Can be Vital To the Health of Patient
Home health is a very important service for many elderly, sick and disabled people who need medical care in their homes. A physician will initially request that a home health agency go out and do an evaluation with a patient. This assessment can be done by a registered nurse, physical therapist or speech therapist. A home health patient must be home bound by Medicare rules. However, some private insurances and Medicaid do not require or enforce this rule. Home health is not considered a long-term service.
Home Safety
One of the first and most important aspects of doing a home health evaluation is to assess the patient's safety. This can be done in a variety of ways. One of the most important things is to see if the patient can do any daily activities on his own. If he cannot, it's important to be sure the patient will have a family member or friend available to help him. If he does not then he may not be suitable for home care services. The home health care clinician will also evaluate the patient's safety when walking and if he is using any devices such as walkers, canes and wheelchairs. In addition, the patient may need assistive devices in the bathroom. The clinician will also remove any floor rugs or electrical cords or O2 tubing that may cause the patient to trip and fall. This all helps to minimize the risk of a fall in the home.
Nursing Care
Nursing care is assessed by a registered nurse. A patient must need help with a skilled type of care. The National Association of Home Care and Hospices' website reports that a nurse (RN or LPN) can help with care for:
• Injections and Intravenous therapy
• Wound care
• Education
• Disease treatment and prevention
• Assessments
• Case management
The nurse performing these duties must be licensed by the state she is practicing in.
Therapy Services
Certain patients may need therapy which can include: physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech therapy. These services are provided by licensed therapy staff. According the the website for The National Home Care and Hospice, these clinicians work to:
• Restore mobility & strength
• Improve speech and memory
• Help the patient re-learn day-to-day activities
Therapy often works in unison with the nurse or other therapy staff. They frequently communicate progress with the patient, family, physician and other home care staff.
Social Work Services
Social work services are sometimes requested. Social workers help with linking a patient with additional community resources that can:
• Increase safety in the home (such as Lifeline)
• Help with care of patient or offer respite services
• Help with nursing home or rehab placement
• Help with financial assistance
• Help with getting emergency food
• Link with state-funded programs
• Get transportation to MD appointments
• Get medications
Social workers are usually instrumental in supporting the staff, patient and family with the care. At times, they are vital to the improvement of the patient's medical condition.
Home Health Aide
A home health aide performs bathing and light housekeeping duties in the patient's home. She remains in the home for approximately an hour at a time to assist with the patient's needs. Like all other home care staff the home health aides are not there to provide support on a permanent basis.
Tele-Health Services
A newer service offered by many home care agencies are tele-health services. These services offer a way of monitoring patients with chronic illness such as diabetes or heart conditions. The monitoring may consist of daily weight and blood pressure checks or daily blood sugar checks. This info is obtained from computers linked with a device in the patient's home and is then reported to the primary physician.
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