You may be able to receive more frequent care for a short period of time (less than 8 hours a day and no more than 35 hours a week) if your provider determines. In most cases, part-time or intermittent care means that you may be able to receive skilled nursing care and ancillary home health services for up to 8 hours a day (combined), for up to 28 hours a week. You may be able to receive more frequent Home Care near Aberdeen MD for a short period of time (less than 8 hours a day and no more than 35 hours a week) if your provider thinks it's necessary. VITAS is the leading provider of palliative care services: end-of-life care that is provided to every patient wherever they consider their household. Since both are Medicare-funded home services, we are often asked how hospice services compare to home care services.
Whether you're a patient, family member or caregiver, it's important to understand the similarities and differences between home care and hospice. It's critical to choose the right care at the right time. Hospice and home health care share some similarities, but the two approaches to care target different patients with unique needs and goals. Hospice provides palliative care for a patient with an advanced illness when curative medical treatments are no longer effective or are not preferred. Home health care is curative and is intended to help patients recover from injury or illness, or to progress toward better functionality.
Learn more about the differences between home health care and palliative care in the following sections. Home health care provides services that are provided to patients who require intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language pathology services, or ongoing occupational services, as prescribed by your doctor. The patient's progress must be documented. Home health care is usually prescribed for the treatment of a chronic condition or to help the patient recover from surgery or injury.
Unlike hospice, a patient must be confined to their home to receive Medicare benefits for home health care services. The length of home health care services depends on the patient's care plan and goals. While nearly all hospice patients have no out-of-pocket expenses related to their terminal diagnosis, home health patients may have to pay for medications, supplies, and equipment. Home health care services don't cover hospitalizations if symptoms worsen and become uncontrollable at home.
Family members who care for home health care patients receive training and education, but they don't have access to the additional levels of psychosocial support that hospice caregivers enjoy. We often receive the following questions from patients, family members and health professionals seeking more information about the differences between palliative care and home health care. If a patient is eligible for Medicare benefits and you or your caregiver aren't sure what type of care is most appropriate, learn more about the differences between hospice services and home health care below. For Medicare patients who meet the criteria for home care, home health care is covered for conditions not related to the terminal diagnosis while the patient is in hospice.
One of the main objectives of home care is for patients to be as self-sufficient as possible and to regain their independence. Palliative care is a type of home health care that treats patients with an ongoing illness that limits their quality of life, and who primarily seek to alleviate symptoms, pain and stress. Home health care is intended for short periods, such as a few weeks; it's not continuous. Home health services are only provided long enough to stabilize your health and teach you to manage your condition independently.
When a person begins receiving home health care, the care plan will allow for a maximum of 60 days. At the end of this period, the doctor must decide whether to re-certify the patient for another 60 days. To continue home health care, the patient must be re-certified at least every 60 days. Ask your doctor for additional information to see if this specialized patient resource may be right for you. Factors such as the type of care required, how often it is needed, and the evolution of the patient's condition influence the amount of time they can continue to pay for home health care.
Once a person decides to appeal and contacts the BFCC-QIO, the home health agency must send the patient a detailed notice explaining why they believe that Medicare-covered care must end. The need for equipment, oxygen and other products is determined by the patient's palliative care plan. In conclusion, the length of a home health visit can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the reason for the visit, the complexity of the patient's condition, and the experience of the home health care provider. Patients can leave home for medical treatment and sometimes for non-medical reasons (such as attending church services, attending a special event, or getting their hair cut) and still be eligible for home health care.
