The services that are available to you depends largely upon the payer source.  With that in mind, some examples of home care services that are offered are:

¨ Nursing,

¨ Private duty nursing (i.e. extended length nursing visits),

¨ Bath aide,

¨ Physical therapy,

¨ Occupational therapy,

¨ Speech therapy,

¨ Social worker counseling,

¨ Personal care,

¨ Homemaking,

¨ Home delivered meals,

¨ Adult day care,

¨ Medical equipment and supplies,

¨ Supplemental adaptive and assistive devices,

¨ Chore services, such as minor home repair or modification, pest control, and heavy household cleaning,

¨ Emergency response systems,

¨ Nutritional counseling,

¨ Independent living assistance,

¨ Medical transportation,

¨ Alzheimer’s respite, and

¨ Caregiver respite.

If and when the time comes that you find yourself or a loved one in need of assistance due to a decline in health or an injury or sudden illness, the whole process can seem overwhelming. 

These are only some of the questions that may come to you all while at the same time trying to deal with situation itself that has caused the need for these questions.  Most people do not even know that home care exists, let alone what it can provide you.

Below are some answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning home care.

Who pays for home care services depends on your particular situation, health insurance coverage, and the services you require.  In general, the following programs will pay for home care if you meet their specific eligibility requirements:

¨ Medicare

¨ Medicaid

      - Straight Medicaid

      - Medicaid Waiver

¨ Ohio Department of Aging

      - PASSPORT Waiver

      - CHOICES Waiver (same as PASSPORT)

      - Assisted Living Waiver (must be enrolled on a PASSPORT,

           CHOICES or Medicaid Waiver program and live in an approved facility).

¨ Ohio Department of MR/DD

      - Level 1 Waiver

      - Individual Options Waiver

      - Residential Facility Waiver (must be enrolled on a Level 1 or

         Individual Options Waiver program and live in an approved facility).

¨ Private Insurance - check with your insurance carrier, most follow Medicare guidelines.

For more information on the payer sources requirements to qualify for home care, click on the program.  If you do not qualify for any of the above programs, Private Pay is also available.

Please call us at 740-354-5671 and we will gladly answer any additional questions you may have.  We understand that when people inquire about home care, they are more often than not dealing with a difficult situation, crisis, or struggling with the idea of nursing home placement.  We will do whatever we can to answer your questions, regardless of if the best option for you is home care, assisted living, or nursing home placement. 

You can contact your physician who will arrange for a home health care provider to evaluate the patient to determine if you qualify for home care or you can contact a home care provider directly, who will then contact your physician for approval.  There is no charge for this evaluation, even if you do not qualify for home care.

Homebound does not mean the patient may never leave the home.  The patient’s physician must certify that the patient has the normal inability to leave home without a considerable and taxing effort.  The patient may require assistance (human and/or device) to leave the home.  The homebound status is not affected by frequent absences from the home for medical care that cannot be provided in the home.  Homebound patients are allowed brief and infrequent absences from the home for non-medical reasons, i.e. church, graduation and other infrequent and unique events.

“Home Health Care” is a simple phrase that includes a wide range of health and social services.  Generally home care is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends.  The need and popularity of home health care has grown for many reasons.  Medical science and technology have improved.  Many treatments that could once be done only in a hospital can now be done at home.  Also, home health care is usually less expensive and can often be just as effective as care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.  And just as important, most patients and their families prefer to stay at home rather than be in a hospital or a nursing home.  The home care team works with your physician to provide the treatments that your doctor has ordered, as well as keeps him up-to-date with your progress.  While you get home health care, home health staff teach you (and your caregiver</