Do you worry about the safety and health of your loved one after a hospital stay? Is your loved one suffering from a chronic illness? Do you need additional help at home with your loved one’s recovery? Answering yes to just one of these questions means you may benefit from home care.
Benefits of home care:
• Understand your disease and how to control it
• Learn how to keep track of your prescription medicines
• Recuperate at home after an operation or recent hospital stay
• Feel more confident with additional at home training if you have special medical needs
• Learn how to use and manage a wheelchair, walker or other device at home if you have physical limitations
There are various types of care provided by professional caregivers (skilled nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers and home health aides) in a patient’s home. Physicians refer home health care to patients for issues such as post-surgical care, wound care, chronic illnesses and injuries.
A nurse or therapist will contact you by phone to schedule the first visit. This will usually happen within 24 hours after you are discharged from the hospital or outpatient facility.
The nurse or therapist will perform a complete assessment of your health, determine your needs, review insurance requirements and document it. The duration of this meeting depends on the individual’s health issues.
The number of visits you receive will depend on the doctor’s orders, insurance benefits and your health status. Your nurse or therapist will monitor your progress to help the doctor adjust the schedule as needed.
Patient choice is still number one. It is your choice as to which agency you invite into your home and trust to care for you or your loved one.
Medicare pays for your covered home health services for as long as you’re eligible and your doctor certifies you need them. Home care services can also be paid for directly by the patient and his or her family members or through a variety of public and private sources. In addition to Medicare, sources for home health care funding include: Medicaid, the Veterans’ Administration, and private insurance.
Once we receive your physician referral for home health services, we’ll contact the insurance company directly and determine if coverage is available and if authorization is required. We will bill the insurance company directly, and let you know if any deductibles and co-pays apply.
Over 40 years ago the VNA made a promise to provide quality home care services to every person in need regardless of their ability to pay. Thanks to the generosity and support of donors, the VNA & Hospice Foundation makes it possible for the VNA to provide charitable nursing care, rehabilitation therapy, end-of-life care and other home care services to the under- or un-insured in our community.
If you need home health care services and are concerned about how your care will be covered, or if you don’t have health insurance, speak to your nurse at the time of your initial assessment. You may qualify for medical coverage provided through the Indian River Hospital District that is available for Indian River County residents.