Home health care consists of medically necessary, skilled services that you receive at home under the direction of your physician, such as nursing care; physical, occupational and speech therapy; medical social work services and more. Home health care can help patients recover from an illness or injury quickly while remaining as independent at home as possible; it may even delay or preclude hospital admission for long-term care services.

Home healthcare professionals provide one-on-one care and tailor a treatment plan specifically to each patient’s needs. Nurses, therapists, aides and other home healthcare providers undergo thorough screening and training so as to provide top quality home health care service; Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers cover this service for eligible patients.

Many older adults could benefit from home health care but don’t take advantage of it, either out of ignorance or the belief they don’t qualify. Millions are missing out on quality of life improving care that may even save money!

Home health care can reduce hospital stays for falls or heart attacks and recover more quickly after surgery or infection management, all while keeping you connected to community members and loved ones.

If you are considering home health care, speak to both your physician and family to determine which services would be most helpful to you. Inquire among friends or family for recommendations, or seek help from a geriatric care manager. Before beginning care with any agency, they must inform you if any services not covered by Medicare must be paid for individually; provide this information both orally and in writing.

Home health care provides many forms of assistance beyond what nurses, therapists and aides can offer – for instance:

Non-medical home health care primarily consists of providing assistance with daily activities like bathing and dressing. It may also include assistance with transportation to doctor appointments or errands; cooking and cleaning the house; meal preparation or companionship services and medication management as well as help getting in and out of bed. Home health aides may even assist with helping get back into bed at night!

Home health care can enhance a person’s quality of life, by enabling them to remain at home and be more engaged with their community, family and places of worship. Furthermore, it may prevent them from moving into costly and less convenient nursing home facilities or facilities.