Whenever a loved one is very ill and requires constant care, most people want nothing more than to be able to do everything they can for them. However, in today's fast and busy world, that is not always possible. While you can likely be there for your loved one for a little each day, you likely can't be there all of the time because of work and family obligations. With home care services, you can ensure that your sick loved one is being taken care of when you can't be around. Here are three things you need to know about home care.
1. Not all home care agencies provide homemaking service.
It is a common misconception that all home care agencies will provide someone to come in and clean up your loved one's house, do the laundry, and even cook for your loved one. In reality, many home care agencies are strictly medical - meaning they provide health care services and that is it.
Part of the reason for this is that they would have to hire extra staff to handle these services, as most nurses want to concentrate on the health care of the patient at home. Another reason is that Medicare will not pay for these types of services.
2. Most insurance will pay for at least a portion of home care service.
Whether your loved one has private health insurance or they are on Medicare, their insurance policy likely will pay for at least a portion of their home care services. With private insurance policies, the coverage will vary depending on your loved one's policy, deductible, and maximum out-of-pocket costs for the year. The home care agency can check with the insurance company and let you know how much of the cost is covered and what your loved one will need to pay out of their own pocket for the home care service.
As previously stated, Medicare won't cover any service relating to homemaking or meals, but they will cover skilled nursing care, as well as medically-related therapy sessions (i.e. speech, occupational, etc.). Much like with private insurance, the home care agency will let you know how much your loved one needs to pay out-of-pocket after Medicare informs them how much they will cover.
3. For many patients, home care is better than a nursing home.
There is a lot of debate about nursing homes, but, for most patients, getting home care is so much better than going to live in a nursing home. For one thing, it allows your loved one to remain in their home. They are more likely to do better with treatment because they won't be forced into an unfamiliar setting with very few of their belongings with them.
Also, if they have a pet that they love dearly, they can still be around it every day. You will likely find that your loved one is much more receptive to getting home care than they would be to moving into a nursing home.
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