For seniors who require medical care, but still want to live in their own home as long as possible, Home Health presents a choice that covers a variety of care.
Home Health usually entails helping seniors to recover from an injury or illness. For this reason, the staff who provide the care are often professional nurses, therapists, or Home Health aides.
Services Provided Through Home Health Care
Home Health services can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as skilled nursing. It can also cover daily help with bathing, dressing, meals, housecleaning, plus medication management.
The main difference between Home Health Care and home care services (which sound similar and may overlap in areas) is that Home Health Care is more medically focused.
Information your Home Health care providers will need to know:
- Illnesses and injuries
- Personal preferences and dislikes
- Medications and recommended dosage and frequency
- Whether dentures, eyeglasses, a cane or walker is needed.
- Potential behavior problems and how to handle them
- Mobility issues (e.g. getting in or out of a wheelchair, difficulty walking)
- Dietary or nutritional needs
- Therapeutic needs