Question: If a family member had surgery and needs to go to several follow-up doctor appointments, will he/she qualify for home health care, since they’ll be able to leave home?
Answer: While leaving the home should require a considerable or taxing effort and require the assistance of others or a supportive device like a walker, cane or wheelchair, patients are allowed to leave home for medical reasons while remaining eligible for home health care.
Question: If a patient has planned to go to a wedding or other short event while getting home health care, does this disqualify them from the benefit of getting home health care (since their leaving home is not a doctor or medical appointment)?
Answer: A person is not disqualified from receiving home health care for short and occasional absences from the home for non-medical reasons, such as a trip to the hairdresser, attendance at a family gathering, funeral or other infrequent event. A patient remains qualified for home health care as long as the absences from home are of a short period and not frequent.
Question: Can I receive home health care and outpatient therapy treatments (such as whirlpool therapy treatments at an outpatient therapy center) at the same time?
Answer: If the outpatient services are something that the home health care agency is not able to provide in the patient’s home environment, then yes, patients can receive home health care as well as outpatient services at the same time.
Question: If I am on hospice for one medical condition, but need to receive home health care therapy for another dis-related medical condition (as recommended by my doctor), am I allowed to receive both home health care and hospice at the same time?
Answer: Yes, if the reason a patient needs home health care is not related to the hospice diagnosis or its related conditions, the patient may be eligible to have both services.
Question: If I have a long-term chronic illness (such as emphysema), would I be qualified to receive home health care services?
Answer: Sometimes. Chronically ill patients may experience periods when their condition worsens. This may require medication changes, treatment adjustments, symptom management and additional education that could indicate the need for home health care services.
Question: If a family member suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and has periods of confusion, is he/she able to receive home health care?
Answer: Home health care is available to help support patients and improve their functional ability. Education and training, as part of home health care services, can be provided to caregivers, family member and patients.