Home Health Care is adult personal care or healthcare provided by an individual caregiver within the patient’s home, rather than primary care provided in hospital or group homes like nursing homes or clinics. Home health care is also called domiciliary care, informal care or residential care. It can be of different types. They include in-home support, assisted living communities, caregiving, in-home caregiving, adult day care and respite care.

Eligibility Requirements: To get enrolled in home health care programs, you should meet certain basic eligibility requirements. These include having no serious or chronic illness or disease that affects your ability to get along with others. You must have steady employment with at least one year of employment duration for a permanent medical condition.

Income Requirements: You must have an acceptable income that can cover all necessary expenses for your long-term stay in a nursing home. The monthly income amount does not necessarily have to be very high, but it has to cover all basic needs. It can also include income from part-time jobs. You must have a valid Medicare card. If you have had any previous hospitalization, you will need to get a referral from your doctor to Medicare.

Referral from Your Doctor: For you to be eligible for home health care services, the doctor who referred you to the rehabilitation center must have made a good referral. Your doctor will give you a letter that gives instructions about how to sign up for the program. Your therapist will teach you how to prepare for your first visit. You must then schedule an initial consultation with the therapist. At the first meeting, the therapist will ask you questions about your medical history, medications and any concerns that you may have.

Skilled Nursing Facility: Most people who live in nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities are much less costly to insure than those who live in a normal community. A skilled nursing facility offers a lower cost of living and offers medical benefits as well. Because there are fewer illnesses, they are able to provide less costly home health care services.

There are several advantages to using a rehabilitation center for home health services. First, you will have a support group of people who know what you are going through. They will help you adjust to your new situation and provide encouragement. Second, you will have access to medical personnel who specialize in treating the elderly, thus ensuring that you receive the best care possible. Third, if you get a referral to a rehab facility from your doctor, your regular medical provider will already know him or her, thus eliminating the need to learn new medical personnel, policies, and procedures.

Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for home health care services, you must meet certain Medicare eligibility requirements. To determine your eligibility, you must contact Medicare directly. You must meet the following requirements: you are not receiving Medicaid; you are not receiving Medicare Part B (the Medicare supplement that pays for hospitalization); you are not currently in a nursing home or a hospital. If any of these are the case, you must meet the Medicare income guidelines in order to be eligible for the supplement.

What Are the Benefits? While you do have some disadvantages, you will have many benefits as well. First, you will have more independence. If you decide to go back to school to get a degree or a certificate, you will be able to continue to live at home and take care of yourself at an extremely less expensive price. You will have a much less cumbersome transition period than if you had to go back to a regular medical care center.