What's home health care?

Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional. Medicare covers the cost of skilled home care ordered by a doctor for a limited time, based on specific medical needs.

Care needs to be intermittent, which means fewer than seven days a week and for less than eight hours each day, for up to 21 days. Non-medical care, such as meal prep and bathing assistance, doesn’t qualify. Home health care also reduces loneliness among seniors, which can improve their mental and physical health, says Pecora. He points out that during the coronavirus pandemic, home health care aides were often the only people patients saw.

But the majority of people who receive home health care are seniors. If your doctor or referring health care provider decides you need home health care, they should give you a list of agencies that serve your area. They must tell you whether their organization has a financial interest in any agency listed.

As with all things, the first agency you try might not be the best one for you. If the patient needs it, training can be provided on how to take medicines or use of the equipment, including intravenous therapy. Certain laboratory tests, such as blood and urine tests, can be performed in the comfort of the patient's home. In addition, portable X-ray machines allow lab technicians to perform this service at home. Some patients who are home alone may require a companion to provide comfort and supervision. Medicaid coverage is determined at the state level, so it varies greatly—but in most cases, there will be some coverage.

home health care is a wide range of health care services that can be given in your home for an illness or injury. Home health care is usually less expensive, more convenient, and just as effective as care you get in a hospital or skilled nursing facility . BrightStar Care offers home health care to all age ranges, says Sun—including pediatrics. Some families, for example, might have a child on a ventilator and need assistance at home, she says. It’s also common for people who were injured on the job to need home health care services.

This Medicare Advantage plan offers PPO and HMO products in 12 counties throughout Maryland, including Baltimore City. Backed by Johns Hopkins Medicine, Advantage MD connects you to high quality coverage with low costs on everyday health care needs. If you have a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy or other health insurance coverage, tell your doctor or other health care provider so your bills get paid correctly.

Commissions we earn from partner links on this page do not affect our opinions or evaluations. Our editorial content is based on thorough research and guidance from the Forbes Health Advisory Board. Check your blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and breathing.

She helped launch the popular Best Diets rankings and continued to oversee the franchise throughout her time there. Angela has also written about health and wellness for publications such as the Washington Post, USA Today, Everyday Health and Verywell Fit. She’s passionate about helping people make healthier decisions through accurate journalism that delivers the facts and puts them in context. Based on the responses you receive, you should be able to partner with a home health care agency that adequately meets the needs of your loved one. If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it may be time to consider support from a home health care agency.

A doctor may visit a patient at home to diagnose and treat the illness. He or she may also periodically review the home health care needs. Once your doctor refers you for home health services, the home health agency will schedule an appointment and come to your home to talk to you about your needs and ask you some questions about your health. For this reason, Sun says it’s important for families to plan ahead for the resources they might need in the future. But to make it happen, additional care is often necessary, which is why some families turn to home health care services. Often called Meals-on-Wheels, many communities offer this service to patients at home who are unable to cook for themselves.