How to choose what type of homecare you need

There are three major categories of homecare services in the United States. The largest category is certified home health. There are over 8,000 certified home health agencies in the US. Certified Home Health is a type of homecare provided to patients who can benefit from professional nursing care or rehabilitation therapy and who cannot easily leave home to access care. Hospice is another form of homecare that is provided to patients during the last six months of a terminal illness. Private duty homecare is care provided by a professional or non-licensed homecare provider. Each type of care has its own admission requirements and is regulated by a different set of rules and regulations. Some services may be covered by insurance and some may not.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• These things will help you decide which type of homecare best suits your needs:
• your insurance provider information
• name and phone number of your primary care physician
• address where you or your family member will want to receive services
• the patient's diagnosis and prognosis
• name of persons who will be living in the residence where homecare services are planned

1. Talk to your primary care physician. Ask if the doctor believes you or your family member qualifies for certified home health services. You must be unable to leave your home except for visits to the physician or other short, required trips from your home. If the physician believes certified home health may be beneficial, he or she will contact a nearby home health agency and request an in-home nursing or physical therapy evaluation. You can suggest which agency the physician calls, using the criteria listed in eHow.
2. If your physician believes you might benefit from hospice services, a hospice representative will contact you and make an appointment to meet with you to explain the hospice benefits you are eligible to receive. Hospice benefits are more comprehensive than those offered by certified home health and include coverage for some medications and medical home equipment needed by the patient. A person must be qualified by a hospice professional for entrance into the hospice program.
3. If you or your family member is not eligible for certified home health or hospice benefits, you may contract for private duty home nursing or therapy services. Sometimes these services are paid for by long term care insurance and sometimes by state sponsored programs. At any time, you can elect to self-pay for private duty nursing care. You can call the nursing service directly to ask about an in-home evaluation and estimates for private duty nursing care.

Tips & Warnings

• All types of homecare are provided by both non-profit and for-profit providers
• Certified home health and certified hospice services must be authorized by your primary care physician
• Eligibility criteria for certified home health and hospice services are published by the Center for Medicare Services (CMS)
• A patient or family member can request which home health provider they wish to use
• Selection criteria are important and are covered in a separate how to article
• Use care when selecting a homecare provider
• Ask questions and use your eHow resources to best understand how to evaluate your options