First blog of the new year and second blog post ever means 2011 is going to start off with a bang! Last week I defined Home Health care for you and briefly touched on how you can obtain the service. Today I will go into much more detail and explain how you can request home health care for you and your loved ones from your doctor.
In most cases consumers receive home health care after a visit to a hospital or rehab facility. Many people are discharged very quickly and depend on their doctor or discharge planner (could be a case manager, social worker, or even nurse) to choose which home health agency will be providing their care. Keep in mind that not all agencies are the same. Yes – we all must be licensed and Medicare approved, but the quality of care can vary from agency to agency. Some agencies specialize in a specific type of care, like preparing home safety plans, foot care, pediatrics, or care for diabetics. Some agencies can be fly-by-night and manage to just squeeze through the minimums that the license requires. It is very crucial that you are matched with the agency that can best fulfill your needs.
Making healthcare decisions can be very overwhelming and many people depend on healthcare professionals to make decisions for them. Remember – we live in America – the greatest country in the world, the land of the free, and the land of the free markets. This also means that we live in the land of buyer-beware. You must make it your responsibility and practice due diligence when choosing the right healthcare provider for yourself and your loved ones. This means researching your dentists, physicians, hospitals and yes… home health agencies. It is your right to choose the home health agency that will provide your home healthcare. It is always smart to ask your doctor or case manager to refer an agency, but keep in mind that they are very busy people and can work with up to 20 or more patients per day. Also realize that these are professionals who are experts in their field, but they haven’t necessarily experienced home health for themselves first hand. Luckily I have a great resource to help you choose the agency that can meet your needs. Medicare has an amazing online tool that allows you to look at all of the home health agencies in your area and view ratings on various levels of care that they provide. These ratings are based on surveys taken from their past clients. Visit www.medicare.gov, scroll to the bottom of the page and under the heading “Resources” you will find a listing titled “Home Health Agencies”.
For example if you had respiratory problems, live in San Diego and wanted to find an agency who could help you with your breathing, you would find that Western Health ranks above the California and national average for treating these symptoms.
Once you determine the agency you would like to use, visit with your doctor so that she/he can determine if you qualify for home healthcare. Once that decision is made, have your doctors write home health ‘orders’ (kind of like a prescription) and have his/her office fax those orders to the agency of your choice. That’s it – really simple. If you have any questions you can always call our agency at 619-397-7800 or email us at [email protected] and we can help you out.
Until next time,
Sue