Home Care Options After A Hospital Stay

What Home Care Options Do We Have?

Imagine you are moving through a normal day in your life.  You are managing your family, job, schoolwork, homework, kids’ sports, etc.  It is hectic, but you have it all managed.  Then, you get a call that your mother, your father, or another loved one has fallen and landed in the hospital with a fractured hip!  Many of us deal with this unexpected event at some point in our lives.  Later, the hospital schedules your loved one to come home.  This is when the real panic can set in.  What do you do?  How will you care for them?  Will you need help?  Who can help me pay for this?  It is normal to look for home care options after a hospital stay.  Home care can be an excellent option when you or your loved one needs assistance after a hospital stay.

Important Questions as You Navigate Your Home Care Options After a Hospital Stay:

This can be an overwhelming and stressful time.  You should speak to the case manager or discharge planner at the hospital prior to discharge.  Often, the hospital will initiate a meeting to discuss the available home care options after a hospital stay.  If not, you should request the meeting.  Be sure to write down your questions so you are ready when talking to a discharge planner.  Here are some questions to get you started.

1. When will my loved one be discharged?
2. Who will need to arrange transportation? This is important if the patient’s mobility is severely impaired.
3. Will the patient be referred to home health care? If so, what services will be ordered?
4. When will the providers come?
5. Will the hospital order any needed equipment been such as a wheelchair or walker?

For more questions, see our graphic above.  If your discharge planner cannot answer these questions, call HomeCentris.  We are experts at helping you navigate this difficult time.

What Home Care Options After a Hospital Stay Does HomeCentris Offer?

HomeCentris offers many helpful home care options after a hospital stay.  Depending on your location, this could include Medicare-certified skilled home health, personal care services, and home-based primary care.  In fact, this full service offering is what makes HomeCentris different.

Hospital stays are shorter these days, people are discharged after only a few days even after major surgeries or critical injuries. The transition to home can be done in as little as two or three days after admission. Our intake staff, customer relationship managers and clinical management team can guide you and your family through this transition.

HomeCentris can help provide the care of a nurse for everything from simple assessments of cardiovascular status and mental status to wound care, to infusion of antibiotics.  Physical and occupational therapy can increase mobility, home safety and the ability of the patient to be independent more quickly. Speech therapy can assist with cognitive issues and or feeding/eating issues.  Homebased primary care makes MD visits easier for everyone.  There is no need to get transportation to the office, the nurse practitioner comes to you!

What is “Home Health”?

Home health is a short-term episode consisting of skilled nursing and therapy services.  Our patients usually need these services after a hospitalization or a discharge from a nursing home or rehab center.  Home health services are ordered by your doctor and typically last for 30 to 60 days.  During a home health episode, our licensed clinicians will visit you two to four times per week.  During those visits, they will help ensure you are healing and rehabbing to your prior level of functioning.  We can care for any surgical wounds, review your medications, and provide therapy and teaching to help you work on your rehab between our visits.  Home Health is paid for by Medicare or private insurance companies.  To qualify, you must be “homebound” after your hospitalization.  Medicare considers you homebound for two reasons.  Either you need the help of another person or medical equipment such as crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair to leave your home, or your doctor believes that your health or illness could get worse if you leave your home.

What are “Personal Care Services”?

Personal Care services provide longer term support in the home.  A caregiver can provide supervision or assistance with meals, laundry, medications, or just companionship.  A HomeCentris registered nurse will evaluate your loved one and create a plan of care based on their individual needs.  If you choose to have personal home care services, there are a variety of ways to pay for those services. Our knowledgeable and helpful staff can help you and your family navigate the options that will best suit your family and individual situation.  Here are some personal care services available to you:

• Personal Care and Hygiene.  To enhance your overall feeling of well-being, our caregivers can assist you with things like bathing, showering, shaving, dressing, skin care, and dental care.

• Walking Assistance, Transferring and Positioning.  Sometimes you may need a little help and encouragement to move around your residence and find a comfortable position in your favorite chair. We can also help with any devices you may use like canes, walkers, and wheelchairs.  Click here for walker options.

• Meal Preparation and Assistance with Eating.  Many of our clients need help preparing meals and eating. From food shopping, to meal preparation, to assistance with dietary restrictions, our caregivers will be there for you.

• Assistance with Toileting.  From reminders to assistance, our caregivers can help.  Sometimes patients need assistive devices and temporary incontinence products to help.  Click here for some options.

• Light Housekeeping and Errands.  Our caregivers can help with light housekeeping chores such as organization, straightening up, de-cluttering, washing dishes, and vacuuming. We can also help with organizing mail, trips to bank, trips to the pharmacy, escorting you to medical appointments, and helping you coordinate with any community-based programs you may use.

• Laundry and Linen Washing.  We can help with washing your personal clothes, washing your linens and towels, folding clothes, and making beds.

• Safety Monitoring and Companionship.  Sometimes our clients just want someone to whom they can talk. Our compassionate caregivers will ensure you are secure in your residence and lend an ear when you want to talk.

What is Home-Based Primary Care?

HomeCentris Community Care provides mobile primary care services by a nurse practitioner that visits you or your family member in your home.  The nurse practitioner can provide all the same services a primary care doctor can, such as medication review and refills.  Our nurse practitioner is a participating provider with a variety of insurance plans.

How Can I Learn More About Home Care Options After a Hospital Stay?

First, talk with your hospital discharge planner.  They are a very good source of information about your home care options after a hospital stay.   If home care is a good option for you, contact your local HomeCentris office.  HomeCentris can assist in the coordination of care from hospital discharge to home.  Whether you call us directly or the hospital sends us a referral for your care, rest assured that we assess each patient individually, and design a care plan specific for your loved one.  We take pride in the care we provide, our professional and compassionate staff, and our knowledgeable and helpful office staff.  Please call us if you have questions or need assistance.