Home health care is an excellent, cost-effective alternative to hospital or other institutional care. Care is based on the individual's need as defined by his or her physician's plan of care and may range from daily care to monthly visits from skilled nurses, therapists, social workers and/or home health aides.
What are the advantages of home health care?
Home health care permits a patient to be discharged earlier from a hospital, reduces hospital admissions, and aids in reducing recovery time. Most importantly, people are happier when
they are receiving quality care and attention from family and friends in the comfort of
their homes.
People of all ages use home health care-from senior citizens to young children. Per Medicaid/Medicare all patients must have homebound status.
What types of home care agencies are there?
In Michigan, there are two main types of home health care agencies—Medicaid/Medicare certified agencies and private duty (or non-certified) agencies.
- Certified home health care agencies comply with Medicare and Medicaid regulations. An individual's Medicare benefit defines the conditions that qualify for service. The need for service typically arises after hospitalization or a significant change in medical condition. Care is prescribed by a physician and is generally restricted to skilled services that may include skilled nursing; physical, occupational or speech/language therapy; medical social work; and/or home health aides to assist with personal care needs. While a physician must prescribe care, the patient has the right to select the provider of his/her choice.
- Private duty agencies offer a wide variety of services including medical and non-medical care. For example, private duty services, in addition to nursing, could include assistance with shopping, laundry, meals and companionship. The patient/family generally incurs the cost of care, although some insurance plans may also cover all or a portion of it.
What types of professionals comprise the home health care team?
- The home health care team consists of physicians, nurses, home health aides, medical social workers and therapists who coordinate care based on an individual's needs.
Who pays for home health care services?
Medicare, Medicaid or other health insurances may cover the cost of home health care services. Some insurance policies will not cover all home health care services unless certain conditions are met. You can still obtain care without insurance coverage through a private duty agency on a private pay basis. Additionally, some agencies may have funding to help people who cannot afford the private pay option. The home health care agency will be able to assist in determining if the services you need are covered or if you need to make other arrangements.
A physician, patient or family member can initiate service. However, Medicare, Medicaid and most insurances require physician oversight. Once the physician prescribes home health care, he/she authorizes a coordinated treatment plan, commonly called a "plan of care," and periodically reviews services and the patient's progress. If a physician does not prescribe home health care, but the individual still desires services, a private duty agency can suggest a plan of care to meet a wide variety of needs and budgets. While some insurances may pay for private duty services, typically, they are an out-of-pocket expense.
How do I choose the right agency for my loved ones needs?
Information regarding home health care services can be obtained from many sources. The Michigan Home Health Association is an excellent reference and can be contacted at (517) 349-8090. Other resources include: hospital discharge departments, your physician, public health departments, telephone directory yellow pages under "home care," "home health care" or "nursing" or through Web site search engines using similar headings.
Other Questions
How long has an agency been serving the community?
CHHC is proud to have been serving the southeast Michigan community for 25 years.
Does the agency have information explaining its services, fees, and
eligibility requirements?
CHHC has several brochures describing its programs and services. Call 800.905.5295 to receive brochures on our Medicare-certified home health care and hospice services.
How does the provider select and train its employees?
CHHC's care staff are bonded and insured. Employees' are screened through background checks. In addition, they receive regular company-provided training.
Are nurses or therapists required to evaluate the patient's home care needs? If so, what does this involve?
A patient's first care visit consists of a thorough assessment of physical, mental, emotional and social needs. From this assessment, an individualized plan of care is developed with input from the family and authorization from the patient's physician.
Is the patient's course of treatment documented, detailing specific tasks to be accomplished by each professional caregiver?
Yes. A patient's course of treatment and progress is documented at each CHHC home visit.
Will the provider take time to teach family members about the care given to the patient?
Yes. Education is an important part of CHHC 's patient care plan and family members are an integral part of the care team.
Does this provider assign supervisors to oversee the quality of care patients are receiving in their homes? (If so, how often do these individuals make visits?
Yes. CHHC case managers regularly supervises each patient's care.
Who can the patient and his or her family members contact with questions or complaints?
CHHC patients and family members can call (800) 905 5295.
How does the agency follow up on and resolve problems?
CHHC follows a structured process to follow up and resolve problems---List information from the Policy and Procedure manual.
