Based on conversations with community leaders across the US, many aging adults are unaware of the available care options and programs that can help maintain their independence and quality of life. So we created a free resource that provides information on topics like financial support and care options that are available in Palm Harbor. What we are most excited about is our comprehensive database of senior living communities which also includes thoughtful and honest reviews from residents in your community.
Find Home Healthcare Agencies
Home healthcare, or skilled care you receive at home, is a continuation of care your loved one might have received or needed in an inpatient care placement. This kind of care may be called senior home healthcare or elderly home healthcare.
These services may be part of a doctor’s treatment plan for your loved one, so they can be at home and still receive rehabilitation, recovery or other clinical healthcare. The doctor may recommend occupational or physical therapy, speech therapy, wound care, staff to provide medications or injections, and staff to monitor recovery while remaining at home.
This arrangement, as ordered by a doctor, is likely temporary as the patient may resume normal function and can handle household duties and functions after recovery. In some instances, caregivers decide to continue the skilled home healthcare after the physician’s order has ended, with the understanding that coverage for that benefit may change at that point.
You will have some ability to negotiate when care providers come to your home, depending on what kind of care the doctor has recommended. For example, a doctor may recommend that a physical therapist come to your home three times a week to work with your loved one. Your family will be able to work with the provider to find the times of day that work best for everyone. Since these services are part of a treatment plan, Medicare or insurance often covers the cost of home health care.
Senior home healthcare can benefit family caregivers, too. Having skilled healthcare personnel monitoring and helping care for your loved one can reduce your worry, and also relieve you of some caregiving activities you may be unable to provide. In some cases, you may find senior home healthcare services that offer additional staff who can also provide you with respite so you can care for yourself or take care of chores needed to keep your household running.
What Types of Care and Services Are Provided by Home Health Agencies?
Home health agencies have to be certified or licensed in compliance with state and local standards. In order to receive Medicaid or Medicare, they also have to meet certain standards set out by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That means that the skilled nursing and other healthcare services your agency provides must be overseen by a team that includes a physician and appropriately qualified nurses, even though your family might not work directly with those medical administrators. They make sure that the home healthcare agency or group can provide a range of services, listed below.
