The more you understand about your disease, the better choices you can make for a healthier, more enjoyable living. Here are 8 tips to get started for a longer path to the good life:
You are not alone in managing your disease. Ask for an In-Home Nurse to Help with your Medications and Nursing Needs.
1. There are HOME HEALTH AGENCIES and there are HOME SERVICES AGENCIES. Which tasks below are done by a HOME HEALTH AGENCY and which are done by a HOME SERVICES AGENCY.
The agency employee…
A.) Reminds the client when to take their medications
B.) Checks the patients’ vitals such as their heart rate
C.) Provides medication management (reviewing the medications with the patient, follows the doctors’ orders, educates client on usage)
D.) Does light house cooking and cleaning
E.) Communicates with the clients doctor on medical condition and reports changes
F.) Baths the client
Answers Home Health Agency: B, C, E Home Services Agency: A, D, F
2. One of the Medicare guidelines for a person to receive home health services (nurse and or physical therapist/occupational therapist/speech therapists) is that the person is HOMEBOUND. According to the Medicare definition of homebound, which of the following situations would a person automatically NOT qualify for home health services?
The person…
A.) Leaves their home with the assistance of another to go to church, medical appointment, or grocery store.
B.) Has an assisted device, such as a walker, and leaves home from time to time to walk around the block.
C.) Rarely leaves the home but needs no assistance nor assistive device.
D.) Drives themselves to church, although it is a taxing effort, because there is nobody to drive them.
Answer: Only C would automatically disqualify a person from qualifying from home health services. A person can leave their home and still be considered HOMEBOUND but leaving must be a taxing effort and or need the assistance or another or able to leave with the use of an assisted device. But each case still needs to be evaluated on an individual basis.