National Home Care Month

Yancey County Home Health Workers


Yancey County CAP workers

Mitchell County Home Health Staff

Mitchell County Home Health Nurse and CAP (Community Alternative for Disabled Adults) worker with client.

November is National Home Care Month – set aside to honor those who provide health care to the homebound members of our community in their own home. Care provided in the comfort and security of an individuals’ home through a licensed agency gives individual’s, their family, and friends, a sense of control and peace of mind. While it helps keep families together and promotes independence and patient dignity, in-home care also provides a wide range or health care and social services to the patient and teaches families to help care for their family member.

 Home care is a broad term that describes a wide variety of health and health-related services provided in the home or community. Home care is available to people of all ages with either acute or chronic conditions, as well as the disabled and terminally ill. The home care staff will work with the patient and their families to teach them about their condition as well as how to care for themselves or the patient, so that the patient can be as independent as possible.

 Home Health covers the following when they are medically necessary to help treat, restore, rehabilitate, or sustain a patient in the home: Skilled Nursing, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Medical Social Work, Nutritionist, Home Health Aide, and Medical Supplies. Physician orders are required for these services and the patient must meet certain guidelines to qualify. Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurance cover these services when appropriate.

 The demand for home care has grown for many reasons. As our elderly population increases, more patients and their families prefer to stay at home rather than be in a hospital or nursing home. Improvements in medical science and technology allow many treatments, that could only be done only in a hospital, now be done at home.  In addition, home care is usually less expensive and can often be just as effective as care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

 Patients and families should ask questions and make an informed decision, based on the specific needs of the patient. The patient has the right to choose the provider they prefer. For more information please contact your community’s Medicare certified, Joint Commission accredited home health agency.

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This page was last updated on Wednesday, 26 September 2007 11:10 AM