Medicare Home Health Care Services

Rent a Daughter provides medical services in the home to treat an illness, injury or chronic condition. Home health care can also help you learn how to manage your disease at home and stay as independent as possible. Home health care includes nursing services, specialized therapies (such as physical therapy, speech-language pathology and occupational therapy) and home health aide services.

Medicare covers most home health care services. To qualify, you must have a doctor’s order for home health care and your care must be short-term. In addition, you must live in a private home or apartment and meet other conditions. Some states offer Medicaid home health coverage for people who don’t have Medicare.

Many older adults who need home health care have serious illnesses that require frequent testing and treatments that are usually given in a hospital or rehabilitation facility. Others may need help with daily activities, such as bathing or getting dressed or shopping for food. Some people use home health care to recover from surgery or a recent illness. Some seniors need home health care because family caregivers are ill or have other responsibilities.

Having home care is one way to help prevent a decline in your health and remain at home longer after a hospital stay. Home health care is provided by nurses, therapists, social workers and home health aides. It’s important to find a good home health agency with trained staff and experience providing home health services.

Home health aides may remind you to take your medicine and can assist with moving about the house or preparing meals. Some aides can drive you to doctor’s appointments or other places, and some can help you with money management and paying bills. Some home health aides are specially trained to provide care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

A home care agency should explain how much home health services will cost before you receive them. They should tell you whether or not Medicare, your state’s Medicaid program or other private insurance will pay for them. They must give you a written notice called an Advance Beneficiary Notice before they give you any home health care services or supplies that Medicare won’t cover.

You can get home health care from an agency that’s Medicare-certified or is licensed by your state. To choose an agency, ask your doctor for a referral or check with your local Area Agency on Aging.