Home health care providers give personal care in patient's homes. The doctor is updated on the patient's development. The patient needs to determine visit frequency. Some patients need 24-hour care, while others need weekly visits. Home health care providers make tailored plans for patients based on their needs. A home health aide helps patients at home. These assistants monitor and record vital signs like a medical practitioner. They must also educate patients and ensure their safety at home. They coordinate patient care with a doctor. They must document the patient's medical condition.
In the 1920s, many home care agencies dissolved, forcing patients into hospitals. Hospitals made private home health care unaffordable. Blue Cross sought to cover home health care during the Great Depression, but it wasn't ubiquitous. Many chronic illness patients didn't need hospitalization, and home health care was expensive and inconvenient.
Telehealth can supplement nurse practitioners' home health care services. Telehealth transfers patient medical data to remote providers. Most of these services employ wired or wireless peripherals. They're utilized between office visits and after hospitalization. Some of these devices offer patient-provider video interaction. These systems can ask targeted inquiries, provide educational resources or direct patients to the ER.
Telehealth reduces healthcare costs while maintaining high-quality care. Telehealth is a cost-effective technique to treat patients who can't visit a doctor. It's easier for patients and providers. Medicare and Medicaid are investing heavily in home and medical telemedicine. Telehealth can minimize travel and staff time expenditures for providers.
Home health aides must be detail-oriented and time-efficient. Since they're accountable for others' health, aides must be punctual and efficient. Being on time is essential for happy work life and can be risky. However, home health aides must also pay attention to the slightest details, as modest behavioural changes can signal a more significant health condition.
Home health aides need good interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with patients and their families. Their employment may involve communicating with medical teams, patients, and other employees. This demands strong communication, multitasking, and detail-orientedness. To comprehend the patient and their family, they must be patient and pay attention to minor nuances.
Medicare covers 60 million people. One rule controlling home health care is troublesome and hinders patients. The Center for Medicare Advocacy sued CMS to clarify. Medicare doesn't mandate doctors to provide home health care, although it pays for some. Home health care includes doctor prescriptions.
A professional caregiver provides home health care in the patient's home. This includes checking vital signs, assessing pain, monitoring food intake, and providing medications. In addition, some home health care professionals may aid with hygiene and safety. They can help the elderly and the disabled execute these tasks.
Medicare's demonstration program pays home health agencies per episode or visit. The program reimburses agencies for appropriate home health costs. The number of home health visits affects payment rates. Rates are linked to visits and mortality. The Medicare demonstration aims to improve home health care while cutting costs.
Medicare's home health benefit covers 60 days of intensive care. This won't meet the increased need for intensive care. New and creative programs are filling this gap. Unfortunately, the current system doesn't incentivize intense care. A few steps can help home health care be effective and efficient.
In Rhode Island, Medicaid-managed care organizations (MCOs) must meet specific criteria, including addressing enrollees' health-related social needs. This initiative intends to enhance Medicaid-managed care enrollees' health. AEs must address three state-approved social needs.
These services help patients reduce expenditures and improve outcomes. Reduce preventable health care expenditures, support evidence-based clinical decision-making tools, use consensus guidelines and best practices, and collect quality measures. They must improve patient outcomes, reduce medical errors, and boost health. Home health accountable entities are crucial to these efforts. Unfortunately, these programs aren't available everywhere.