Where Can They Receive Home Health Care Services as They Heal?
You care a great deal about your loved ones, and would do anything for them, especially if they needed to recover after a hospitalization, injury, or illness and couldn’t do it alone.
If you’ve been asked to be involved in making living arrangements for your loved one after a hospital discharge or surgery, you may be overwhelmed by the possibilities. To help your loved one heal, home health care services can provide the care they need whether they live in their own house, your home, an independent-living or assisted-living apartment, or a long-term care facility.
Consider the benefits of each living arrangement before deciding where it’s best for your loved one to stay, but let their physician know that Phoenix Home Care & Hospice is your home health agency of choice.
Phoenix provides a full continuum of care for patients. This means that although your loved one may start with home health care, they can access additional services when they need them. Our long list of services ensures we can help at any stage of life.
Home Health Care Services Are Available in a Variety of Living Situations
When considering where your loved one will live during their recovery, examine the following options.
- In their own house or apartment. If your loved one can live independently with intermittent care from a home health care nurse and treatments from physical or occupational therapists, living at home can be the least stressful option for everyone. A sense of familiarity and comfort prevails at home.
- In your home. If your loved one needs additional help throughout the day with meal preparation, hygiene, and more, you may wish to serve as a family caregiver as your loved one recovers. Asking your loved one to live in your home during their recovery to make caregiving more manageable for you – if you have the space and time. A home health care nurse can visit your home to care for your loved one.
- In a skilled nursing facility or other long-term care facility. If your loved one needs round-the-clock personal care, they can get it at a long-term living facility. These are available for people of all ages and extend beyond the typical “nursing home” environment you may be familiar with. Phoenix Home Care & Hospice provides home health care services at these facilities.
- In an independent- or assisted-living apartment community. For aging loved ones, living in a senior community ensures a staff member is nearby at all times. Home health care providers can make visits to these communities.
Are Home Health Care Services Right for Your Loved One?
Home health is appropriate for patients who need skilled health care from a home health nurse, physical therapist, or occupational therapist. Home health agencies serve home-bound patients as they recover from an illness, surgery, hospitalization, or injury. These patients usually rely on other people, supportive devices, or specialized transportation when they do leave home.
Additionally, your loved one’s physician must order home health care services; you cannot request them on your own from a home health care agency. However, you can ask the doctor to write an order for home health if he or she believes your loved one would benefit. Ask them to fax the order directly to Phoenix Home Care & Hospice, and we will take care of the rest.
If your loved one needs care outside the scope of home health care, including assistance with toileting, household chores, meals, and more, you may want to learn more about private duty care at Phoenix. Or, call us to talk about other ways we can help you.
How to Decide on Living Arrangements
It is a painstaking process to decide on arrangements for a loved one who needs help with daily living and will be receiving home health care services. Consider these questions when making a decision:
- Does your loved one need wheelchair-accessible spaces as they recover?
- Do you have time to help care for your loved one’s daily needs? Can you provide round-the-clock care if necessary?
- Do you have room in your home for your loved one to stay with you?
- Do you or your loved one have room in your homes for durable medical equipment (if applicable to their situation)?
- Will having your loved one cause undue stress on you or other family members?
- Does your loved one’s insurance cover care at a skilled nursing facility?
- Can your loved one afford to move to an assisted- or independent-living facility? Is this a suitable ongoing living situation for them after they heal?
- If your loved one will be living in a facility permanently or temporarily, is it conveniently located so you and other friends or family members can visit?
- If your loved one’s stay in a facility is temporary, how long do they anticipate the stay will be?
- If applicable, does the care facility offer activities and entertainment options to keep your loved one engaged?
- Does the facility offer physical, occupational, or speech therapy services? If not, will the facility allow service providers from Phoenix Home Care & Hospice to provide a full continuum of care? What is their policy for visiting home health care providers?
- Where would your loved one prefer to live as they heal and recover?
Unlike Other Home Health Agencies, Phoenix Provides a Continuum of Care
You have several home health care services in your area to choose from, and at their core, they all seem to be the same. But if you’re looking for a major distinction, Phoenix Home Care & Hospice stands out.
Not only can we provide home health care to those who need it, but our range of care options cover a full spectrum of patient needs, whether they’re young or older, and no matter where they are in their healthcare journey. Our commitment to improve the quality of life for people we serve drives us every day and guides our mission to deliver care centered on innovation, skill, compassion, honesty, and patience.
Home health care services are available in communities across Kansas and Missouri – contact us to learn how we can help your loved one.
