04 Oct What Does Home Health Care Mean?
Home health care doesn’t seem like a complex topic. That is, until you start researching what it really means when you’re ready to find care for yourself or someone you love. It turns out that it can be quite a complex topic, but understanding the home health care definition can help you narrow in on the services that are right for you.
The home health care definition
Home health care includes short-term, physician-directed care. This type of care is meant to help a patient prevent an illness, injury, or hospital stay. It can also help a patient recover from an illness, injury, or a hospital stay. It is also sometimes called intermittent skilled care or visiting nurse services.
It includes:
- Short-term nursing services
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Speech language pathology
- Medical social work
It is important to know that home health care is distinct from private duty nursing care, which includes long-term, hourly nursing care. It is also different from personal care, which includes help with everyday activities.
There can be quite a lot of overlap between the different kinds of care. For example, you may require home health care services in addition to caregiver services while you’re recovering from a surgery.
How much does home health care cost?
Home health care is ordered by a physician, so it is covered by both Medicare and private insurance. Because the other forms of care aren’t prescribed by a doctor, at least a portion of what they cost must be paid out of pocket.
At Life & Health Care, we are proud to offer services that meet the home health care definition, and we’re proud to work with long-term care insurance providers to help you cover the cost of our services. Call us at 515-832-4442 or fill out our online form today. We would love to tell you more about our services, as well as how much you can expect to pay out of pocket.