Understanding Eligibility. Choosing Your Team. What to Expect. We’ve Covered It All Here.
Download or Print Our Checklist, So You Feel Fully Prepared For Home Health Care
Home health care eliminates the challenge of traveling to receive skilled care for those who are homebound.
Whether a patient is dealing with recovery from surgery, a new diagnosis, a medication change, or the worsening of a current condition, there’s a way to get help.
However, we’ve found that most patients aren’t sure how it works and how to take advantage of this form of care.
That’s why we created this guide. Use this resource to feel fully in the know about home health services, find the best home health agency, and feel empowered throughout the process.
Part One: Understanding Home Health Services
Home health care is skilled, professional healthcare delivered right where you live.
Instead of traveling to a clinic for every aspect of your recovery or treatment, qualifying patients receive scheduled visits from healthcare professionals such as nurses, therapists, and medical social workers in their community.
Home health care can be appropriate after:
- A hospitalization.
- Surgery.
- An illness or injury.
- A new diagnosis.
- A worsening or exacerbation of an existing condition.
- A loss of strength, balance, mobility, or function.
- A stroke or other health event that affects speech, movement, or everyday activities.
You don’t necessarily have to be recovering from a hospital stay to receive home health. You only have to meet the qualification requirements and need skilled healthcare that can be addressed at home.
Part Two: Questions We’re Often Asked About Home Health Services
Is home health care only for recovery after surgery?
No. Home health can also help people manage chronic or changing conditions, injuries, increased symptoms, and other circumstances that would prompt a physician or allowed practitioner to order skilled care.
Am I confined to my house during home health services?
“Homebound” is an insurance and medical term with a specific meaning (see Part Three of our guide), but being homebound does not mean you can never leave home.
Is home health care only for seniors?
No. Home health care is for any adult who needs skilled care at home. Children and young adults (under the age of 21) with specialized health care needs can receive one-on-one private pediatric nursing services at home. These are covered through Healthy Children and Youth private duty nursing in Missouri and the Technology Assistance Waiver in Kansas.
Is home health around-the-clock care?
No. Home health professionals make scheduled visits according to an individualized plan of care. Medicare-covered home health is generally part-time or intermittent rather than continuous 24-hour assistance.
What can I look forward to from a home health agency?
During scheduled visits, you can look forward to a nurse, therapist, or medical social worker who will deliver skilled clinical care based on your individual plan. If you choose Phoenix as your home health provider, you can expect a team that treats you with compassion, makes you feel understood, and empowers you to care for yourself long term.
Part Three: Who Qualifies For Home Health Services?
Home health has specific Medicare eligibility requirements.
Here are the qualifications:
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You Need a Skilled Health Care Service
You must have a medical need for qualifying skilled care, such as intermittent skilled nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, or occupational therapy.
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You Must Meet the Homebound Requirement
For Medicare purposes, homebound generally means that your medical condition makes leaving home difficult.
For example, you may need:
- A walker, wheelchair, cane, or crutches.
- Special transportation.
- Help from another person.
- Significant physical effort to leave safely.
Homebound status also refers to those who have a condition for which leaving home is medically inadvisable.
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A Healthcare Provider Must Order and Oversee Your Care
For Medicare home health, a physician or other allowed healthcare provider must assess your need for services, certify your eligibility, and establish and oversee your plan of care.
Part Four: What Does Home Health Care Include?
At Phoenix, home health services may include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical social work.
You will not necessarily receive every service listed below. Your team is determined by what your physician or medical practitioner orders and what your individual circumstances require.
Skilled Nursing
A home health nurse provides clinical care, observation, assessment, and education related to your condition.
Skilled nursing may involve:
- Assessing your health and monitoring changes.
- Wound care.
- Medication education.
- Injections or certain infusion-related services.
- Monitoring a serious or changing health condition.
- Teaching you and your family how to manage care safely.
- Watching for symptoms or complications.
Home health nurses do more than perform medical tasks. A major part of skilled nursing is helping you better understand your condition, what signs to watch for, and what you can safely do between visits. This is especially beneficial as it may help you avoid future emergency room visits and hospitalizations, while also helping you feel more independent.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is focused on movement and physical function. After an illness, injury, surgery, or hospital stay, movement may be more challenging than before.
A physical therapist may help you work on:
- Walking.
- Strength.
- Balance.
- Endurance.
- Transfers, like getting out of a chair or your bed.
- Navigating stairs.
- Safe use of walkers, canes, or other mobility devices.
- Exercises and stretches designed for your condition.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy refers to specialized assistance with the activities you perform in daily life.
That can include:
- Getting dressed.
- Bathing.
- Grooming.
- Preparing a simple meal.
- Moving safely through your home.
- Using adaptive equipment.
- Relearning routines after illness, injury, or neurological changes.
Speech Therapy
Speech-language pathology is about helping with speech- and communication-related challenges.
Depending on your diagnosis, a speech therapist may help with:
- Language.
- Cognitive-communication skills.
- Memory or problem-solving strategies.
- Swallowing difficulties.
The goal is to help you communicate and participate in daily life as safely and effectively as possible based on your condition.
Medical Social Work
A health challenge can create difficulties that skilled care from a nurse can’t resolve.
You may have questions about community resources, caregiving arrangements, insurance, transportation, future planning, or how your family will manage your changing circumstances. A medical social worker helps address these parts of your care plan.
Medical social workers provide services like these:
- Connection to community resources
- Helping your family navigate practical concerns
- Emotional support
A medical social worker can be especially helpful when you and your family know you have specific needs or challenges to overcome, but aren’t sure what resources are available to address them.
Part Five: How Patients and Families Can Get the Most From Home Health Services
Starting home health can be overwhelming when you don’t know what to expect. Here are some recommendations that our home health care services team has put together to make this service easier for you.
- Write down questions for your care team as they come up, so you don’t have to remember them.
- Tell your team if you notice that something about your condition has changed.
- Follow your plan of care between visits, such as exercises and routines that your care team has suggested.
- Let your team know your goals and preferences; your team wants to get to know you and help you achieve what matters most to you.
- Keep family members in the know about your care plan and needs.
- Maintain an updated medication list for your care team.
- Talk with your team if you have other needs that home health care can’t meet.
Part Six: How To Choose a Home Health Care Provider
Most people don’t know that they get to choose their home health agency, even if one is recommended to them in the hospital.
You deserve to find a provider who can encourage, educate, and empower you while delivering high-quality medical care.
Questions you can ask your home health agency:
- Which home health services do you provide?
- How soon can care begin after my provider orders it?
- Which nurses or therapists are assigned to visit me?
- Will I see familiar clinicians throughout my care?
- How do you communicate with my physician?
- Can you connect me with other forms of in-home support if I need more help?
- What values guide your agency?
Ask for Phoenix Home Care & Hospice by name to choose us as your home health care team. If you’re still deciding, we’d be happy to answer all of your questions during a free, no-pressure consultation.
Your Printable Home Health Services Checklist
Use This Whenever You Need It During Home Health Care
Phoenix Home Care & Hospice Contact: (855) 881-7442
Questions About Home Health Eligibility
- Do I have a skilled nursing or therapy need?
- Does my condition meet the definition of homebound?
- Has my physician or qualified healthcare provider ordered home health?
- What services are included in my plan of care?
- Which services will my insurance cover?
- Is the home health agency in my insurance network?
- Are there any costs I should expect before services begin?
Questions To Ask Potential Home Health Agencies
- Which home health services do you provide?
- How soon can care begin after my physician orders it?
- Which nurses or therapists are likely to visit me?
- Will I see familiar clinicians throughout my care?
- How do you communicate with my physician?
- Can you connect me with other forms of in-home support if I need more help?
- What values guide your agency?
Information To Have Ready When Home Health Begins
- Current medication list:
- Physician or healthcare provider name and phone number:
- Preferred pharmacy:
- Emergency contact:
- Family member or caregiver who should receive updates:
- Medical equipment currently used:
- Upcoming medical appointments:
- Questions for my nurse:
- Questions for my therapist:
Find Your New Beginning With Phoenix Home Health Care
Your health care journey may seem difficult right now. However, you’re on the road to feeling empowered, capable, and cared for.
By choosing Phoenix Home Care & Hospice for adult and senior home health care, you get an approach grounded in patience, honesty, and compassion. Our nurses, therapists, medical social workers, and home health aides work together to help eligible patients heal, recover, manage changing health needs, and pursue greater independence at home.
If your physician has ordered home health care, or you believe home health services may be the next step, ask for Phoenix Home Care & Hospice.
