There’s No Place Like Home

After my mother’s surgery, she required special care. Home health care was the solution prescribed by her doctor to get skilled nursing and therapy care in the comfort of her home.

I wanted to compare local agencies to see which provided the best quality of care. I searched on Medicare’s Home Health Compare website at http://www.medicare.gov/HHCompare/home.asp?version=default&browse on the Web. It reports on the quality of care measures for home health agencies. Then, I called the home health agencies to ask questions to be sure they could giver her the care she needed.

What is Home Health Care?
Home Health Care provides skilled nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, speech language therapy, and medical social services in the comfort of home.

Home Health Care is prescribed by your doctor and is provided by a variety of health care professionals. Medicare covers home health care that is temporary and part-time.

Home Health Care: What Medicare Covers
Medicare will help cover home health care costs for people with Medicare who meet the following four conditions:

1. Your doctor must decide you need medical care at home, and make a plan for your care at home.

2. You must need at least one of the following: intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, or continue to need occupational therapy.

3. You must be homebound. This means that you are normally unable to leave home unassisted. Being homebound means that leaving home is a major effort. When you leave home, it must be to get medical care, or for short, infrequent non-medical reasons such as a trip to get a haircut, to attend religious services, or adult daycare.

4. The Medicare program must approve the home health agency caring for you.

Our agency helps patients get better in the following measures:

• Bathing
• Dressing themselves
• Getting to and from the toilet
• Mobility
• Getting in and out of bed
• Taking oral medications correctly
• Level of confusion
• Pain when moving around
• Admission to the hospital
• The need for urgent, unplanned care

Things to Ask Home Health Agencies
Quality of care can differ among home health agencies. To make the best decision, talk to your family, health care provider, or discharge planner. Call agencies and ask questions about their services. Some services may not be covered by Medicare.

Ask whether the agency:

• Offers the specific health care services you need, such as nursing or therapy

• Has staff available to provide the hours of care your doctor ordered, and can start when you need them

• Meets your special needs, such as language or cultural preferences

• Offers the personal care services you need, such as help bathing and dressing

• Offers the support services you need, such as help with the laundry, cooking, or shopping

• Can help you arrange for additional services such as Meals on wheels

• Has staff available at night and on weekends for emergencies

• Is Medicare-certified

• Will explain what your insurance covers, and what you must pay out of pocket

• Has letters from satisfied patients, family members, and doctors

Getting Started with Medicare’s Home Health Compare Web Site
Getting information about the quality of local home health agencies is easy. First, know what services you (or your loved one) are likely to need.

Then:
1. go to www.medicare.gov
2. Select Home Health Care
3. Follow the step-by-step instructions on the web site to find information about agencies in your area.

As you review the results of your search, look for agencies that perform well in the services you need most. When you call the agencies, use the checklist provided on this page to guide you in learning more about the services they offer.