What can my Medicare Home Health Agency do for me?
With the wealth of Home Health agencies (also known as HHA’s) flooding the market now, we encounter a great deal of our clients asking us “What’s the difference?” Home health care agencies range tremendously in the realm of what services they offer to their clients. There are literally dozens of services that a HHA can provide as well as all the minute details that each and every one tout that sets them apart from their competition. We here at Rehab Home Health are no stranger to our firm grasp on our competitive edge, not only for our clients, but the physicians we service as well. Agencies like ours spend the extra time to pinpoint needs and goals of our clients and help create a package of services that meets those needs. Below are some of the more common categories of services offered by home care companies:
Companion Care
Companion care can include a broad range of non-medical services including, but not limited to:
- Plan, prepare, and serve meals and shop for food
- Light housekeeping, such as dusting, sweeping, and making beds
- Washing and ironing clothes
- Personal care
- Social and business services for elderly, disabled, recovering from illness
- Read, talk to them, and play cards or other games
- Companions may accompany and drive their employers to social events, such as dinners and parties.
- Plan trips and outings as well as travel with the patient and their family
- Handle business affairs, which include writing letters, paying bills, and going to the bank
- Oversee exercise program as prescribed by a health professional
- Live -in services as required
Basic Home Health Care
Home Health Care staff can perform more medically-related tasks, such as:
- Provides or assists with patient’s personal care, including but not limited to: bathing, shampoo hair, oral hygiene, and general skin care. Assists patients with dressing or grooming. All care is provided with consistency to “Plan of Care” .
- Assists patients/clients with mobility and ambulation, as appropriate and, with consistency to Plan of Care. Examples may include, transfers, assistance with walker use, etc.
- Prepares and serves meals, as appropriate, with consistency to the Plan of Care. May feed patients and/or provide fluids, as directed in the Plan of Care.
- Assists patients/client with toileting activities including, as appropriate: the use of a bedpan, commode, or toilet; or changing diapers.
- Takes and records oral, rectal and auxiliary temperatures, pulse and respiration and/or blood pressure.
- Turns and positions bed-bound patients, providing preventive skin care techniques including backrubs and other measures.
- Performs range of motion and other simple procedures as instructed by and under the supervision of the therapist or nurse.
- Assists patient/client in the self-administration of medication. Home Health Aides do not administer medicine but assist the patient/client.
- Performs household tasks, as appropriate, with consistency to the Plan of Care, including but not limited to: changing bed linen, washing dishes, vacuuming and dust-mop floors, dusting furniture, grocery shopping, emptying trash, etc.
- Reports observations in a timely manner to the RN Case Manager, to bring nursing attention to patient changes or other urgent needs. Documentation of observations and duties.
- Uses personal protective equipment when completing tasks where contact with blood or body fluids is a possibility.
- Involve patient/client in socialization or other diversional activities, to promote activity of the mind and self esteem.
Nursing Care
RNs or LPNs provide more advanced skilled care, including:
- Skilled Nursing evaluations
- Observation & assessment
- Catheter Care
- Cardiac Care
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Pre & Post Heart Transplant
- Inotropic Home IV Therapy
- Tracheostomy Care
- Wound care & dressings
- Wound Vac care
- Injections
- PT/INR at Home without sticking
- Intravenous therapy
- Tube feedings & care
- Ostomy care & teaching
- Diabetic care & teaching
- Disease process education
- Post Stroke care
- Hypertension, CHF & Emphysema(COPD) care
- Medication Management
- Family Counseling & Teaching
Specialty Services
Depending on the needs of the client and the resources of the home health care agency, additional services may include:
- Medical Social Worker
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Hospice Care
Please keep in mind, all of these services can be provides to clients based upon the physicians orders, care plan and details concerning the patient. We here at Rehab Home Health strive to make sure our customers can and will benefit from a stringent care plan as well as keeping the overseeing physicians abreast of all the care, visits and vitals throughout our length of care. We pride ourselves in our “Next Level” care regiment that uses our range of technology that allows us to offer our clients more as services and perks to care for our clients more efficiently. If you have any particular questions about the services we provide, feel free to give our office a call so we can detail the steps we can take to help you or a loved one. As always, we are founded by nurses, owned by nurses, run by nurses…
