Home Health: A Service Provided to Recovering, Disabled or Chronically Ill People

Home health is a service provided to recovering, disabled, or chronically ill person. It provides treatment to help the patient function in a home environment. Home health provides a wide range of health and social services delivered at home whether its medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment. With the many advances in technology and medical equipment home health allows patients to receive treatment in home versus a visit to the hospital or a stay in a long-term care facility. A patient choosing to receive home health feels that it gives them a sense of independence and comfort.

Home health services all types of patients who are homebound, confined to the home expect for infrequent or relatively short absences that require considerable and taxing effort. These patients are usually recovering, disabled, and chronically or terminally ill. In order for a patient to be considered for home health they will need a patient referral, which can come from a variety of services, such as hospital discharge planners, patients, patients’ physicians, insurance companies through their case management programs, PPOs, and HMOs. Home health care provide their patients with many different specialty services and they have home health aides who are provided by skilled nursing agencies to render these services.

These specialty services range from physical therapy to Meals on Wheels. Physical therapist establishes a home exercise and maintenance program for the patient. Occupational therapists assist the patient to become independent with personal care duties. Speech-language pathologists teach proper swallowing techniques, word formation, and word enunciation. Medical social services help the patient and family members cope with the disease...

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...e to their patients and balance quality care with the efficiency and cost-saving measures the new payment method requires. Home health care agencies will need to stay on top of the proposed policy changes.

I think that home health care is an excellent option for patients who still want to be independent and they are able to do it from home. They are still provided the quality care they need from skilled workers in the privacy of their own homes. This option is also cost effective and provides jobs for home health aides and people who have experience in the specialty areas. HIM home care positions require knowledge of finance, quality improvement, utilization review, and information systems, and as HIM evolves I think home health care will open up more positions for HIM employees. HIM professionals can contribute greatly to the future business planning of home care.