Skilled in-home care for when you hit health roadblocks

a. Home Health agencies provide skilled nursing and therapy to meet specific medical needs. It is medical care provided in your home, under the direction of your doctor. Licensed medical professionals help you manage chronic health conditions, like heart failure or diabetes. They can help you recover after surgery or a hospital stay. Care is “intermittent” instead of 24 hours a day.

b. Hospice agencies help those with a life-limiting illness. They treat symptoms of the disease, like pain or nausea, rather than treating the disease itself. Hospice nurses and doctors are skilled in the latest techniques to help relieve pain and improve your comfort. Social workers, chaplains, and volunteers also provide tremendous help and resources for patients and family members.

c. It is offered through the Medicaid ADvantage program. Preferred Pathways is in-home that care allows people with specific needs to stay in their homes instead of moving to a long-term care facility. Our specially-trained employees help with daily activities so you can remain independent, such as personal hygiene, grooming, light housework, meal preparation, running errands, etc.

You must be “homebound,” which means it is difficult or risky for the patient to leave home. Some examples:

• Do you need a wheelchair, crutches, or help from someone else to leave home?
• Are you recovering from a surgery that makes it difficult to get in and out of a car?
• Are you unsteady when walking, or have a history of falls?
• Are you at risk of infection if you are around the public, possibly leading to more serious illness?
• Are you short of breath and need to limit walking?

You must have a skilled medical need. A few examples:

• Managing chronic conditions. This could include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, COPD, kidney failure, cancer, blood disorders, muscular disorders, etc.
• Recovering after a hospital stay. You may need help checking your medications, adjusting your diet, learning more about a new diagnosis, or regaining your strength.
• Care after surgery. You may need skilled care to check incisions, change dressings, check your home for safety hazards, or safely exercise to regain mobility.

The agency must be Medicare-certified. The agency must follow very specific Medicare requirements. This ensures you receive high-quality care safely and with respect. All A Path Of Care locations are Medicare-certified.

You must have a face-to-face visit with your doctor that addresses your primary need for home health. Medicare requires that this is done 90 days before or 30 days after the start of home health services. This helps the doctor order the right home health services to meet your needs.

Home health is a covered benefit if you have original Medicare (Part A). This means you will have no out-of-pocket expense for these services with original Medicare. Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) have different types of coverage. Some will cover home health, but there may be a copayment involved. We would be happy to check on coverage for you when we do our phone assessment.

There are so many different insurance plans, it’s hard to list them all here. However, some of the bigger plans include Medicare, Medicaid, certain Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, HealthChoice, and United. We’d be happy to check on your specific coverage for you when we do an assessment.

Home health is different from a housekeeping service, but we may still be able to help. Is there a medical condition that may be causing her lack of energy? For example, if she has heart failure we can show her how to conserve energy in her daily activities. We’ll check her medications and teach her to manage symptoms. This may help her continue to live safely and independently.

It varies based on your condition and how many services you need. The care plan is customized to you. For example, a nurse may come two to three times a week if you are just getting out of the hospital, and then reduce the visits over time. A physical therapist may come once or twice a week and then adjust as you begin to heal. Home health aides make visits depending on specific needs. We will adjust our visits based on your specific needs and the doctor’s orders.

If you would like to have someone monitor your vital signs each day, ask about our Remote Patient Monitoring services. Each day you can check your blood pressure, weight, or oxygen levels on special equipment in your home. A nurse monitors them from a central location, and contacts you and/or your doctor if there is a concern. This is not 24-hour emergency monitoring, but a way to watch trends over time. By catching problems early, you can often avoid an emergency room visit or hospital stay.

Every situation is different, but most people use the service for two to four months. Some stay on longer for complex medical conditions. Others just need a few visits to help safely recover from joint replacement surgery. Our goal is to give you the skills you need to live safely and independently at home.