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The following services may be offered through a home health care agency -- often on a 24/7 basis:

A doctor's care 

  • Your primary care doctor generally works with the home care agency to determine your medical needs, prescribe the necessary treatments, and oversee your plan of care.
  • While you will not typically receive regularly scheduled home visits from a doctor, home visits may be arranged in special circumstances.

Nursing care

  • Generally provided by a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
  • Nursing duties include those services that can only be performed safely by a nursing professional including:
    • Wound care
    • Injections
    • Infusions (also known as intravenous (IV) therapy)
    • Ostomy care
    • Administering/supervising medications
    • Providing disease or condition specific education or information
    • Home patient evaluations
    • Assistance in coordinating the plan of care established by a doctor
  • Nurses also serve as a connecting link between patients, family and the doctor

Nursing care is generally provided through a home health agency. Nursing services may also be provided through a "staffing" or "private-duty agency" but these types of agencies are not generally licensed or regulated by the government (such as the Medicare/Medicaid program).

Medical Social Services

Medical Social Services are designed to meet your social, emotional, health, and economic needs. Services may range from counseling, to arranging for meal delivery (such as Meals on Wheels), to locating local funds for assistance.

Medical Social Services are provided by a social worker who can help to coordinate services and maximize use of community resources. 

If you have complex medical and/or supportive needs, a social worker may serve as a case manager to oversee and coordinate different services.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapists may provide physical therapy designed to improve or regain strength and movement of the body, to reduce pain or to improve circulation, including:

  • Massage therapy
  • Exercise
  • Other treatment using specialized equipment

Physical Therapists may also teach the patient or family caregivers special techniques for tasks such as walking, or getting in and out of a wheelchair or bathtub.

Speech Pathology

Speech Pathology services may include exercises and techniques to regain or improve communication and speaking skills. These services may be especially useful after certain surgeries or stroke.

Therapists may also retrain patients in breathing, swallowing, and muscle control skills. 

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy can be useful in teaching new techniques for performing everyday tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing, and performing household chores.

Nutritional Counseling

Nutritional counseling services provided by a dietician generally includes:

  • Foods that may help relieve symptoms or side effects, as well as foods to avoid
  • Foods for good health
  • Recipes

Pharmaceutical / Infusion Therapy Services

These services deliver drugs and equipment necessary for intravenous drug treatments, and may provide the necessary supplies and equipment for medical nutritional therapy supplied through specially placed feeding tubes.

A nurse generally administers all intravenous treatments and provides instruction for procedures that may be performed by the patient or family.

All infusion companies that accept Medicare/Medicaid payment have satisfied minimum federal requirements related to patient care and financial management.

Home Health Aide Services

Home Health Aides provide care services a patient may need that are not medically related, such as:

  • Help getting in and out of bed
  • Help walking
  • Bathing and other hygiene and personal care

In addition a "Registry" or "Independent Provider" may provide these services. In such cases there are generally no licensing requirements and no federal regulations, meaning that there is no legally required screening or background-check of employees (although some registries do so on a routine basis). In addition, the patient is responsible for hiring and supervising the worker. The patient provides direct payment to the employee, and is responsible for any applicable state and federal labor, health and safety regulations. The patient is responsible for payroll tax and Social Security withholdings.

NOTE: if an independent aide is hired directly instead of through a care company, that person is generally peritted to provide medicine. If hired by a licensed agency, the            person generally has to be a registered nurse in order to give medications.

Homemaker / Attendant Care

Homemaker services agencies supply includes:

  • Food and other shopping
  • Meal preparation
  • Laundry
  • Light housekeeping duties

Homemaker services do not generally include any "hands on" patient care. Instead, homemaker services are designed to maintain the home.

In addition a "Registry" or "Independent Provider" may provide these services. In such cases there are generally no licensing requirements and no federal regulations, meaning that there is no legally required screening or background-check of employees (although some registries do so on a routine basis). In addition, the patient is responsible for hiring and supervising the worker. The patient provides direct payment to the employee, and is responsible for any applicable state and federal labor, health and safety regulations. The patient is responsible for payroll tax and social security withholdings.

Medical Equipment and Supplies

Agencies supply medical equipment and supplies that may be necessary to provide care in the home. Equipment and supplies includes:

  • Respirators
  • Hospital beds
  • Wheelchairs
  • Walkers
  • Oxygen
  • Bandages
  • Catheters

Durable medical equipment suppliers that accept Medicare/Medicaid have to meet minimum federal requirements.

Respite Care

Respite care is designed to give your volunteer caregivers a break from their duties.

Some private insurers provide coverage for respite care. Medicare / Medicaid does not.

Hospice Services

Hospice is for people at the end-of-life. It is designed to supply services that are geared toward caring rather than curing. To learn more, see Hospice.

Additional Services

Additional services provided in the home may include laboratory and x-ray tests, respiratory therapies, and emergency alert systems. A smaller number of home health agencies may also provide some volunteer services.

NOTE: To get an idea of the current cost of different types of care in the state in which you live, go to www.Genworth.com/mycostofcare offsite link