Home
Health
What
is Home Care?
Home care is an excellent cost-effective alternative to institutional
care.
It encompasses a broad spectrum of both health and social services,
delivered to recovering, disabled or chronically ill persons to their
own homes. People of all ages can benefit from home care services,
including individuals who; have conditions such as congestive heart
disease, kidney disease, diabetes, muscle-nerve problems or respiratory
diseases; are able to be discharged from a hospital or nursing home
but need additional care at home; require short-term assistance at home
because of same-day or out patient surgery or maternity-related incapacity.
Who Provides Home Care?
The range of home care services available to individuals in their
own home includes:
Physicians
- may initiate service
- determine plan
of care for skilled services
- review services
periodically
Registered Nurses
- provide
direct skilled care
- coordinate patient
care with physicians
- educate family
members, friends, or other caregiver(s) in the care/support needs
of the patient
Home Care Aides/Homemakers
(Trained/Supervised Para-Professionals)
- perform
skilled personal care procedures
- assist
in bathing, grooming, dressing, cooking, and exercise
- vacuum, dust,
clean, light housekeeping, shop
- prepare nutritious
meals and do laundry
- teach budgeting,
parenting skills, and provide emotional support
Social Workers
- assist
families in evaluating financial needs
- direct
people to needed local support systems
- counsel and assure
that the patient's and family's emotional needs are met
Therapists
- provide
physical, occupational, and speech therapies according to patient's
needs
Who Pays for Home Care?
Home care is paid for by a variety of sources.
Benefits and requirements vary greatly, however. Major home care payment
sources include:
PATIENT/PRIVATE PAY
Home care services can be personally paid. The scope of services and
the charges are negotiated between the patient/family and the agency.
For those whose resources do not cover home care, Washington County
Public Health & Home Care offers a sliding-scale fee schedule so
that a family need only pay what it can afford.
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE
Policy coverage varies. Generally private insurance coverage is limited
to physician-directed medical services and equipment. The patient and
family should check with their insurance agent to determine coverage
specifics.
MEDICARE
The patient must be under a physician's plan of care, homebound, and
in need of intermittent skilled nursing care or occupational/physical/speech
therapy. Eligible clients may receive a range of services which include
skilled nursing, home care aide, speech, and occupational therapy, and
medical social work.
MEDICAID/TITLE 19
This federal/state administered medical assistance
program provides services similar to Medicare for low-income people.
No prior hospitalization or "skilled" level of service is
required to qualify. Individuals do not need to be homebound.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Any person needing home care services as a
result of injury on the job is eligible. Workers' compensation representatives
have information on eligibility.
HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS
HMOs and Comprehensive Medical Plans (CMP) with Medicare contracts must
provide the full range of Medicare-covered services that are available
in a geographic area, including home care services.
CHAMPUS (Tri-Care Insurance)
On a cost-shared basis this program covers skilled nursing care and
other professional medical home care for dependents of active military
personnel, retiree's and their dependents and survivors.
Why Home Care?
Consumers overwhelmingly prefer home care delivered
services to institutional care because it:
·
keeps families together
·
supports independence
·
is significantly less expensive and more efficient than other forms
of health care
·
prevents or postpones institutionalization
·
involves the individual and family in services that are delivered
·
represents the best American tradition
Home
care is both the oldest and newest form of health care. Traditionally
given at home throughout the centuries, home care now is taking advantage
of modern technologies, making virtually anything that can be done in
a hospital available at home. Home care is the most cost effective
and satisfying type of health service available. To learn more, call
Washington County Public Health & Home Care at 319-653-7758 or 800-655-7758.
Loan
Closet
People who need
to borrow assistive devices are welcome to use our Loan Closet, located at the
Central Park Community Center (on the south side of the square). The phone number
is 319- 653-7906. Any items we have can be checked out at no cost and returned
when they are no longer needed. Wheelchairs
have a limit of 2 weeks loan time. Some
of the items we have in our Loan Closet are:
| Bath Benches |
|
Nebulizer |
| Bathtub rails/handles |
Pedals - stationery |
| Bedpans |
Shoehorn with long handle |
| Bedside Tables |
Shower chairs with backs |
| Canes |
Shower stools |
| Commodes |
Stool extenders |
| Crutches |
Stool extenders with handles |
| Gait Belts |
Stool handles |
| Grabbers |
Walkers |
| Knee Immobilizer (x-large) |
Wheelchairs (maxium time to
borrow is two weeks |
| |
