CHRISTUS HomeCare - St. Michael

Home Care - LHC Group, through a network of local hospitals, health systems, home health agencies and trained professionals, provides the highest possible level of personalized medical attention for patients recovering from illness or injuries in the comfort of their homes, and under their physicians' direct supervision.

Medicare home health care services is designed for short term, intermittent, skilled care. It requires a physician's order and a patient must be considered homebound to receive care under Medicare Part A.  The term "homebound" can be interpreted as a Medicare participant who experiences a taxing effort to leave a person's home.  Skilled home care can be either a treatment plan that requires a registered nurse and/or physical therapist to monitor a patient in a home environment.  Medicare Part A is utilized when a physician orders Medicare Home Health to come into a patient's home.  A patient's home may be a residential dwelling whether it is an assisted living facility,independent living or even a residential care home.  To date, there is no co-pay or out of pocket expense for Medicare home care services.

Medicare home health is also generally ordered after a short stay at a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center (SNF) as a safeguard upon discharge.   A patient can receive Medicare home health after visiting a doctor's office where a physician feels a patient is experience a medical decline of some sort, needs education for disease management, training for a new piece of equipment (rolling walker, cane) or medication management.  Supporting diagnose(s) are required with the physician's order.

It is  important that Medicare participants clearly understand that Medicare home care does not provide custodial care such as cooking and cleaning for a patient. A licensed Registered Nurse (RN) will conduct the initial evaluation to determine the frequency and duration and/or a therapist following the doctor’s home care order. During the initial assessment, patients and their family have a great opportunity to be educated on proper care, medications required and the actual frequency and duration of the home care visits.

Supporting Clinicians for home care visits are:

Home Registered Nurses (RNs) - Visiting Nurse assigned to communicate directly with the ordering physician.

Home Physical Therapist - Lower Extremity Strengthening

Home Occupational Therapist - Upper Extremity Strengthening

Home Speech Therapist - Treat patients status post stroke/swallowing disorders

Home Health Aide - Assist in bathing a patient up to three days a week

Medical Social Worker - designed to safeguard and provide community outreach resources

Here are just a few of the many diagnoses/diseases that may be appropriate for a patient to receive home health care:

1. Congestive Heart Failure
2. Unstable Angina
3. Unstable blood pressure
4. Osteoarthritis
5. Osteoporosis
6. Rheumatoid Arthritis
7. Pneumonia
8. Anemia
9. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
10. Stroke
11. Bowel Disorders
12. Diverticulitis
13. Fractures
14. Post Operative Surgery
15. Parkinson’s Disease
16. Multiple Sclerosis
17. Urinary Retention
18. Uncontrollable blood sugar – Diabetes

Note: The individuals that come to a person's home under Medicare are highly skilled professionals that are actually employees of the Medicare Certified Home Care Agency with complete and thorough level two background checks.  

Click here to learn more about Home Health Care Services and Personal Home Care.

To learn more about Medicare Home Health rights visit www.Medicare.com.