Helping Your Elder Patients Avoid Hospitalization

In 2017, less than 9% of fee-for-service Medicare qualifiers utilized home health care. Why? Because many people don’t know about it, or if they do, they don’t know it’s an option for them. 

Home health care is proven to reduce your patient’s risk of being hospitalized. It also helps your patient maintain their independence in the comfort of their own home. 

A broad spectrum that meets the needs of a wide variety of patients, home health care includes skilled nurses, health aides, medical social workers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. 

If your patient can answer yes to many of these questions, home health care is probably a good choice.

1. Have they fallen recently?
2. Do they have trouble keeping up their hygiene?
3. Do they take multiple medications?
4. Have they been hospitalized often?
5. Do they have a chronic disease or illness?
6. Are they recovering from a substantial illness or injury?
7. Have they become socially isolated?
8. Are household chores being neglected? 

Home health care can be a life saver -— sometimes literally — for patients who need daily assistance or are hospitalized frequently.  It’s completely covered by Medicare if your patient qualifies.  If your patients aren’t taking advantage of home health care, now could be the time to consider.