All About Home Health Care
Home health care services are a great option for someone with a disability or injury that makes it difficult to leave the house. It is also a great option for seniors who need a little extra help.
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health care allows those who need extra assistance to receive that assistance in the comfort of their own home. This is a good way to cut out the extra trips to the clinic. Home health care can consist of medical-related services, nonmedical-related services, or both.
Home Health Care Service Options
There are many service options to choose from.
Some nonmedical services can include:
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Bathing
- Grocery shopping
- Toileting assistance
- Dressing assistance
- Companionship
Some medical services can include:
- Wound care
- Medication management
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Infusion therapy
- Catheter care
Keep in mind that any medical-related service will require an order and/or referral from your doctor unless you plan to pay out of pocket.
Does Insurance Cover Home Health Care?
Most insurance plans will cover some or all of the home health care services. Do not forget to check your own plan before starting home health care to avoid any surprises.
Insurance companies do require that a medical-related service be medically necessary, or they will not cover the cost. This means your doctor would need to provide documentation stating that they have evaluated you and you require the specific services to remain healthy and safe. The only way to avoid needing an order from your doctor is to pay the full cost of the services out of your own pocket.
Nonmedical services will never require documentation from your doctor, but your insurance may require an evaluation to be completed by them to determine whether the services are necessary. If your insurance company decides you do not need the nonmedical services to remain healthy and safe, you will need to pay out of pocket if you want those services.
Who Can Provide Home Health Care Services?
If you are receiving multiple services, you may have more than one person coming into your home to assist you because many of the offered services require different education and skill levels. For example, if you are receiving physical therapy and wound care services, you would have a physical therapist and a registered nurse coming into your home.
Others who can provide services include:
- Caregiver or home health aide (cooking, cleaning, bathing assistance, etc.)
- Occupational therapist (occupational therapy)
- Licensed Practical Nurse (blood pressure checks, catheter care, etc.)