Home care and hospice deliver freedom

As we near the end of Home Care and Hospice Month 2017, we continue to recognize and give thanks to all individuals who give of themselves to take care of others—particularly those who are unable to completely care for themselves at this time. We thank these nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, social workers, personal caregivers and family caregivers who provide care in their patient’s or loved one’s homes with skill, dedication, and compassion.

If home care and hospice are new to you, and you find yourself in a situation where you need to find these services for a loved one or friend, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, home care and hospice services do not focus solely on medical care—although this is of paramount importance. Home care and hospice provide medical care, emotional care, personal care, physical care, social care and attention to safety matters. Hospice additionally provides comfort and spiritual support to the patient and family.

Home care and hospice teams will need to work closely with the patient and/or primary caregiver—and the patient’s primary care physician—to set goals and determine patient and family needs. They work together to meet these needs and goals so as to ensure the patient’s quality of life is the best it can be.

Steps to finding home health care services
To help you find the home health care services needed, you can begin your search by visiting www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/search.html for a list of local providers. You can also ask friends and family as well as your physician or discharge planner—if the patient is being discharged from a hospital—for a list of local home health care providers.

Then, according to MedicareInteractive.org, you can contact the agencies and make inquiries. They recommend asking the following questions:

• What kind of care does the agency provide? Do they offer the services your loved one needs?

• What is the cost of services? Get this information in writing.

• Is the agency certified to take Medicare or Medicaid as payment?

• Does the agency offer discounts or free service to people with limited means?

• How does the agency decide what kind of services your loved one needs? Do they do an assessment? Will they talk to your loved one’s doctor?

• Who would come to the house (a nurse, home health aide, a volunteer, etc.)? How much training has this person had?

• Does the agency have references or satisfaction reports for itself and staff?

Another list of recommended questions can be found at https://www.nahc.org/consumers-information/home-care-hospice-basics/right-home-care-provider/. Once you have reviewed the facts, you can contact the agencies that “sound best” and meet with their representatives in person to help you make your final decision.

While this may seem a little overwhelming, most times, home health agency representatives are more than happy to meet with you and help you understand and navigate the process of selecting and successfully working with home health care providers. Always remember, the patient has the right to choose the provider he or she believes will best meet his or her needs.

If you would like to learn more about home care and hospice topics, please visit www.marianashealth.com or feel free to call our office at 233-4646/7.

Sources

www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/search.html
https://www.nahc.org/consumers-information/home-care-hospice-basics/right-home-care-provider/