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What Is and Is Not Covered By Home Health Care?

For many people, taking care of elderly, sick, or disabled family members is an important part of life. However, everyday life can make it difficult to meet all the needs of your loved one. This is why home health care services in New York, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx may be an essential resource for your family. Learn more about the home health care definition and all the services you can expect from a home health care company.

What Is and Is Not Covered By Home Health Care?

Home health care is slightly different from home care. In general, home care refers to tasks such as grocery shopping, housework like laundry, meal preparation, and companionship.

Home health care, on the other hand, focuses on the medical needs of an individual. In particular, some home health care services may include medication management, patient and family education, intravenous nutritional support, and other services a nurse or hospital may provide.

Home Health Care Definition

According to Medicare, the home health care definition includes medical services that are provided at home for individuals who are seriously ill, who have serious injuries, and for elderly patients. Home health care services allow families to receive nursing assistance at home rather than paying for care at a long-term health care facility or a long-term hospital stay.

What Services Are Common in New York?

Under the home health care definition, several common nursing services may be provided during home health care. For example, some basic services could include insulin injections, wound care for pressure sores, intravenous therapy, and more.

Essentially, the services provided by home health care services are meant to bridge the gap between what a family can provide and the medically necessary services an injured or disabled person may require and which the family is not qualified to administer.

Extensive Care

For certain patients, extensive care may be necessary. Extensive care generally applies to patients who are unable to help themselves with toileting, bathing, or other daily tasks due to paralysis, severe disability, or advanced illness. Extensive care gives families peace of mind because the medical needs of their loved one will be met by a trained home health worker.

Extensive care can be long-term or temporary, based on the needs of the client. Many people who are newly disabled or who have welcomed an elderly loved one into their home may need extensive care services initially to learn how to be the best primary caregivers for their family members.

Respite Care

Respite care is also provided by home health care services. Respite care is designed for family members who are the primary caregivers of the elderly, ill, or disabled individual. Because family members may need a break from the continued stress of caring for an aging or disabled loved one, respite care allows for the medical needs of the client to be met while the primary caregiver takes a break.

Respite care is often used sporadically so that the primary caregiver can run errands or take a break. Other times, respite care can also be part of a daily or weekly schedule to allow the primary caregivers time to take care of other family matters or obligations.

Who Is Qualified for Care in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx?

In general, people who are qualified to receive home health care services are those who have received a referral from a doctor or other health provider. This is generally the case for people who are finding it difficult to cope with serious illness and injuries.

Many insurance plans offer home health care services to qualified individuals. You can check your private healthcare insurance, Medicare benefits, and Medicare supplement insurance policies to learn more about qualifications for home health care services.

What Is the Goal of Home Health Care?

Because home health care services are customized to each individual, the goal of these services will vary. For example, some people use home health care services to learn new coping skills for everyday tasks. Home health care services can also teach family caregivers how to manage medications, injections, and learn other skills for taking care of a loved one in the long term. Let’s explore some primary goals of home health care services.

Managing Medical Needs

When you hire a home health care service in Manhattan, the priority is generally managing the medical needs of the qualified individual. Medical needs can vary depending on the injury, illness, or disability of the individual. For example, while some individuals may need help with intravenous nutrition or injections, others may need help with managing bed sores, transfers from bed, mobility, and more.

For family caregivers, managing medical needs can also include learning about medication management, such as how to administer certain medications on a schedule. Medical needs can also sometimes include bed toileting needs. For example, if an individual would require a bedpan in a hospital, then a home health care worker can provide similar services at home.

Relieving Family

Another priority of a home health care service in Queens is to relieve the family. For one thing, having a professional home health care worker who is trained in how to manage the medical needs of a disabled, ill, or injured individual can be a major stress relief for the family. It can be overwhelming meeting someone’s medical needs without the proper training or support, so home health care workers can bring peace of mind for families.

Monitoring for Illness

Home health care workers in Brooklyn are also trained on how to monitor for illnesses. For certain vulnerable populations, including those who are seriously ill and the elderly, certain times of the year can be very dangerous. For example, during flu season, it’s very easy for elderly people to catch pneumonia. Having a regular home health care worker can monitor for signs of serious illness and help the client receive prompt health care.

Regain Independence

Home health care in the Bronx can also help individuals regain independence. For people who are newly disabled, for elderly who live alone, and for those who are recovering from serious illness, regaining independence can be a top priority.

In addition to managing the medical needs of the client, home health care workers can educate the client on how to take care of themselves, how to prevent falls, and other types of education that may be necessary for independent living. This can be particularly important for elderly, disabled, and ill individuals who do not have a family support system at home.

Why Choose Home Health Care?

There are several reasons why families choose home health care instead of long-term healthcare facilities, nursing homes, or prolonged hospital stays. For example, home healthcare is significantly more affordable than other types of long-term care. Personalized care, greater independence, and exceptional comfort for the client are also primary reasons why families choose home health care services.

If you have a loved one who is elderly, disabled, severely injured, or recovering from a severe illness, home health care services can be a vital resource. The home health care definition means providing healthcare services at the home for qualified individuals, which can be a replacement for a skilled nursing facility, hospital, or long-term care facility. Get in touch with Parent Care Home Care in New York, serving locations such as Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx, to learn more about home health care services.

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