What is the difference between Home Health services provided in the home and Private Duty Services?

Home Health services provided in the home are usually covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or some type of private insurance. We must have a physician order, the services must be provided by a nurse or therapist and the client must be homebound.

What is the difference between Home Health services and Hospice care?

Home Health services, generally short term treatment in the home for those who find it difficult to leave for their health care, are designed to restore a patient to a prior level of function with the use of medical intervention, education and monitoring from a variety of disciplines.
Hospice is designed to proved care in the home for those who have been determined by their physician to be terminally ill. Hospice provides education related to the disease process, emotional support for patients and their caregivers. After the death of a patient, we follow the family for an additional 18 months to ensure that they are coping with the death of their loved one.

Will Medicare pay for Home Health care?

If all of the requirements for home health care are met, Medicare will pay for:

• Occasional skilled nursing care
• Physical therapy
• Speech-language therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Medical social services
• Some medical supplies other than prescription drugs
• Some medical equipment such as a wheelchair or walker

Does Medicare pay for personal care like bathing, toilet use, or dressings?

If you are also receiving skilled care such as nursing care or other therapy, Medicare might pay for these services. However, Medicare does not pay for 24-hour-a-day home care, prescription drugs, meal delivery, or homemaker services like cleaning, laundry and shopping.

Who is considered homebound?

• A patient recently paralyzed from a stroke who is confined to a wheelchair or requires the aid of crutches in order to walk.
• A patient who is blind or senile and requires the assistance of another person to leave his/her residence.
• A patient who has lost the use of his/her upper extremities and is unable to open doors, use handrails on stairways, etc., and requires the assistance of another individual to leave his/her residence.
• A patient who has just returned from a hospital stay involving surgery suffering from resultant weakness and pain, restricting his/her action to certain specified and limited activities such as getting out of bed only for a specified period of time, walking stairs only once a day, etc.
• A patient with arteriosclerotic heart disease of such severity that he/she must avoid all stress and physical activity.
• A patient with a psychiatric problem if the illness is manifested in part by a refusal to leave home or is of such a nature that it would not be considered safe to leave home unattended, even if he/she has no physical limitations.

What is the difference between Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy?

Physical therapy is performed to optimize human performance through the evaluation, prevention and treatment of acute and chronic movement dysfunction. Physical therapists work on strength, balance, range of motion and pain.
Occupational therapy is a health profession that helps people regain, develop and build skills that are important for independent functioning. Occupational therapists work with patients to maximize independence and safety with activities of daily living: grooming, dressing, bathing, toileting and home chores.

Does Home Health provide medications?

No.

Is my physician still in charge of my care when I am on Home Health Services?

Yes. Your physician, or the physician that has ordered home health services, is in charge of your care. Home Health services cannot be provided without a physician’s order and an approved plan of care by the physician.

Will Medicare allow someone to set up my medications for me?

No; however, it will cover medication set up during the time a home health agency is providing another skill to a client in the home.

Are blue pads and diapers provided to clients under the home health Medicare benefit?

No. Medicare will only pay for diapers and blue pads that are used to provide care at your routine visit.

Will my Ostomy supplies be covered under Medicare while on service for home health?

Yes, provided they are the same brand and type that the client is using. Most home health agencies stock only one brand. The home health agency is not required to carry other brands.

Does Medicare pay for Home Health Aide services?

Yes, but only during the time that the client has another skilled service providing care. Those skilled services include: nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Additional home health aide services can be provided under Faith In Home Services, LLC.

How long can I have Home Health Service?

Services can be provided as long as there is a skilled need for the home health agency to provide service. With physical therapy, the client will need to show improvement. With most of the private insurances, a client’s needs will be assessed by a case manager. There could be restrictions as to the benefits that the insurance covers, also. If you have private insurance, it is important you are familiar with what your insurance will cover.

Hospice FAQ

What kinds of care does Medicare Home Hospice care include?

• Physician services
• Nursing care
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services.
• Medical social services
• Hopsice aide services
• Homemaker services
• Medical supplies, including drugs and medical appliances
• Counseling, including dietary counseling, spiritual counseling, counseling about care of the terminally ill patient, and bereavement counseling.
• Pain control and symptom management

How do you know if it’s time to enter a hospice program, and who should make that decision?

At any time during a life-limiting illness, it’s appropriate to discuss all of a patient’s care options, including hospice. By law, the decision belongs to the patient. Most hospices accept patients who have a life expectancy of six months or less and who are referred by their personal physician.

Should we wait for our physician to raise the possibility of hospice, or should I ask first?

The patient and family should feel free to discuss hospice care at any time with their physician, other health care professionals, clergy, or friends.

Can a hospice patient who shows signs of recovery be returned to regular medical treatment?

Absolutely. If the patient should later need to return to hospice care, Medicare and most private insurance will allow additional coverage for this purpose.

What does the hospice admission process involve?

1. Contacting the patient’s physician
2. Signing consent and insurance forms

Is there any special equipment or changes I have to make in my home before hospice care begins?

Your hospice provider will assess your needs, recommend any equipment, and help make arrangements to obtain any necessary equipment.

How many family members or friends does it take to care for a patient at home?

There’s no set number. The hospice team will prepare an individualized care plan that will, among other things, address the amount of caregiving needed.

Must someone be with the patient at all times?

It’s typically not necessary in the early weeks of care. Because one of the most common fears of patients is the fear of dying alone, however, hospice generally recommends someone be there continuously.

What specific assistance does hospice provide?

Hospice patients are cared for by a team consisting of a physician, a nurse, social workers, counselors, home health aides, clergy, therapists, and volunteers. Additionally, hospice provides medications, supplies, equipment, and other services related to the terminal illness.

Does hospice do anything to make death come sooner?

Hopsice neither hastens nor postpones dying.

Is caring for the patient at home the only place hospice care can be delivered?

No. Hospice patients may also receive care in nursing homes, hospital hospice units, and inpatient hospice centers.

How does hospice manage pain?

Because hospice believes that emotional and spiritual pain are just as real and in need of attention as physical pain, it addresses each through medications and physical and occupational therapy for the patient along with counseling assistance to the patient and family.

How successful is hospice in battling pain?

Very. Using a combination of medications, counseling and therapies, most patients can attain a level of comfort they consider acceptable.

Will medications prevent the patient from being able to talk or know what’s happening?

Not typically. It is the goal of hospice to have the patient as pain free and alert as possible.

Is hospice affiliated with any religious organization?

No. Some churches and religious groups have started hospices, but these serve a broad community and do not require patients to adhere to any particular set of beliefs.

Is hospice care covered by insurance?

Hospice coverage is widely available. It is provided by Medicare nationwide by Medicaid in 47 states and by most private insurance providers. To be sure of coverage, families should check with their employer or health insurance provider.

If the patient is eligible for Medicare, will there be any additional expense to be paid?

The Medicare Hospice Benefit covers the full scope of medical and support services for a life-limiting illness. Hospice care also supports the family and loved ones of the patient through a variety of services with little expense to the patient or family.

If the patient is not covered by Medicare or any other health insurance, will hospice still provide care?

Families will be assisted in finding out whether the patient is eligible for any coverage they may be unaware of. Barring this, some hospices will provide for anyone who cannot pay using money raised from the community or from memorial or foundation gifts.

Does hospice provide any help to the family after the patient dies?

Most hospices provide continuing contact support for caregivers for at least a year following the death of a loved one. Many hospices also sponsor bereavement groups and support for anyone in the community who has experienced a death of a family member or friend.

Personal Services FAQ

Who needs in-home care?

People who need additional help with their daily living activities and want to stay home. In other cases, it could be people whose family caregiver needs a respite from their care giving responsibilities.

Do you provide care in facilities also?

Yes. We can attend to your loved one in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, long-term rehabilitation facilities, and other places.

Can I meet the caregiver in advance?

Of course. We want to match the right caregiver with the personality of your loved one, which is covered during the initial interview. We pride ourselves in building relationships.

Why should I use Lifecare Oklahoma instead of someone else?

Our services are provided by a team of screened, bonded, insured and highly trained home care professionals dedicated to going above and beyond to ensure the care and comfort of patients and their families, while simultaneously addressing individual needs and providing the highest quality, patient-focused, and loving care available anywhere.

Inquiries and Service Requests

We know these decisions can be difficult. Please feel free to call and speak with a compassionate consultant whenever you’re ready.
405-329-4545
After 5 p.m., call:
405-329-4545 for Home Health Care
405-329-2290 for Hospice Care
405-573-5990 for Personal Services
or contact us describing your home care needs