What is Home Health Care?

Home health care services are a wide range of services that provide medical care without having to relocate to a healthcare facility. Home health is generally doctor ordered during illness or after an injury to administer health care.

Home Health Care Services

Home health is a term that covers a range of services, and the care you receive will depend on your particular condition. The service can range from care similar to that provided in an assisted living community to skilled nursing for recovery from a more serious illness.

Personal care can help with activities of daily living like:

• Mobility: help with getting in and out of bed, walking, and navigating the facility
• Dressing: from simple help with buttoning up to help with full dressing every day
• Medication: reminders for residents to take prescribed medications 
• Grooming and hygiene: help with shaving, bathing, using the restroom, and other hygiene assistance

Home health services involving skilled nursing include: 

• Post-hospital care: A senior may choose to be cared for in their home after a major surgery or serious illness.
• Stroke-Recovery: Home health can provide rehabilitative care to patients recovering from a stroke to assist with regaining speech and motor control.
• Illness Care: A patient can receive care for an acute or life-threatening illness in their home.
• Wound Care: A senior can have a wound cleaned and antibiotics administered in the home 
• Cognitive and Neurological Illness care: Seniors with advanced cases of Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other neurological or cognitive illnesses can be cared for at home. 
• Post-Nursing Home Care: A senior may need care while they transition from a stay in a skilled nursing facility back to their home or community

Home health can include personal care aides, home health aides, and skilled nurses depending on your needs. Personal care aides and home health aides both provide for the activities of daily living, but personal care aides will also help with activities like meal prep, transportation, and scheduling appointments. 

Cost of Home Health 

The median cost for home health services in Alabama is $16 per hour of care. The cost will be determined by the amount of care needed per week and the agency. Agencies can have very different pricing so it’s important to make sure you can’t get the same services for cheaper with another agency. 

Medicare can cover particular aspects of home health for those receiving skilled nursing and certified as homebound by a doctor. Only 20% of the cost of the aspects covered is paid by medicare. Medicaid itself does not cover home health, but those eligible for Medicaid can get a waiver that may cover part of the cost.