Shad Crookston, Executive Director with Life Care at Home of Utah visits Studio 5 with more.
I. What is Home Health?
* Home Health Care is skilled nursing care and certain other health care services that you receive in your home for the treatment of an illness or injury. This could also include physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Medicare Part A will cover home health expenses at 100%.
* Private duty home care is not covered by Medicare and is paid for by the individual receiving the service. This type of service usually includes housekeeping and other routine personal care services (cooking, laundry, and shopping, and live in care givers.).
II. How to get Medicare Home Health Care:
• Your doctor must determine you need medical care in your home.
• You will need at least one of the following services: skilled nursing care, physical or speech therapy.
• You must be homebound. Homebound means that leaving your home is a considerable and taxing effort
III. What qualifies as Skilled Home Care Services?
• Wound Care for pressure ulcers or surgical wounds
• Physical Therapy (fall prevention, recent fractures, recent stroke, TIA’s, endurance issues, or transfer training)
• Occupational Therapy (recent strokes, ADL training-such as dressing , grooming , and bathing)
• Speech Therapy (swallowing issues, aspiration, recent stroke, pneumonia)
• Patient and Caregiver education
• IV Therapy
• Injections (diabetes, B-12)
• Medication Management
IV. Home Health vs. Hospitalization:
• In many cases home health care services may be appropriate to prevent an individual from being hospitalized.
• Most patients and their families prefer to stay at home rather than be placed in the hospital or skilled nursing facility when their condition allows them to remain at home.
• Home health care is usually less expensive and in some cases just as effective as care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.
For more information, go to www.lcca.com
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