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| Do I Need Home Health Care? |
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You should discuss with your doctor and/or social worker if you are hospitalized, whether home care is right for you. They will be able to refer you to a home care agency, like Alternate Staffing Inc., that can provide the right kind of care in the comfort of your own home.
Often, with the right home care, you may not need to be admitted to a hospital or nursing home. Skilled nurses and therapists can come into your home and help you recover from accident, injury or illness. Ask your doctor or social worker in the hospital: can I benefit from home health care? |
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| If you are diagnosed with or recovering from: |
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Cancer
- Cardiac bypass surgery
- Hip or joint surgery
- Stroke
- Any chronic illness such as asthma or progressive arthritis
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| Do you have difficulty with? |
- Remembering to take your medication
- Walking, rising, or getting out of bed
- Maintaining proper hygiene
- Feeding and hydrating yourself
- Wounds or skin ulcers
- Vision, hearing, balance, strength, or memory
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| Do you need? |
- Considerable help leaving your home
- Skilled nursing at your home because you are mostly homebound
- Physical therapy
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Do you frequently feel? |
- Overwhelmed and unable to care for yourself
- In danger
- Vulnerable to abuse, scams or fraud
- Lonely, sad or confused
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| Potential home health care patients include |
- Cancer patients in need of chemotherapy
- Transplant patients in need of home pain management
- Mothers experiencing difficult pregnancies due to pregnancy-induced hypertension
- Elderly persons experiencing difficulty in motion due to an injury
- Diabetic patients in need of daily monitoring to avoid rehospitalization
- Patients experiencing trouble with the healing of wounds
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| How Do I Pay for Home Health Care? |
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Alternate Staffing Inc. accepts Medicare and Medicaid through affiliate, worker's compensation, private insurance or private pay.
Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid and Medicare pay for most services. Managed care and private insurers may require pre-certification, limit coverage of the number and type of home care visits, or require an out-of-pocket co-payment for each visit.
Insurance Plans and HMOs. Some HMOs may not pay for services without prior authorization.
Private Pay. When, Medicare, Medicaid or insurance coverage does not pay for all your home health care needs because, for example, you have exhausted your benefits, or your medical needs don’t fall within eligibility guidelines, you may need to pay out of pocket. By paying for care you avoid third party restrictions and enjoy greater flexibility in the kind of services you receive and the amount of times you receive service.
Contact our billing department at (718) 972 2500 x 16 with any payment questions or concerns.
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| What Should I Look For in a Provider? |
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Not all home health care agencies are alike. Choosing the right home health care agency is as important as choosing the right doctor and the right hospital; it’s critical to your recovery and your state of mind while regaining your health. Don’t allow others, such as the discharge planner in the hospital, or even your doctor to make this very personal choice for you.
Find the right match. You deserve an experienced, trustworthy and highly regarded home health care agency that respects you as a human being and a patient. |
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- Make a list of the qualities you seek in a home health care company.
- Ask friends, family and your physician to recommend providers.
- Research potential home health care providers before you select one. The internet is a good place to start.
- Talk to the admissions or service coordinators at agencies you are considering.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions and keep notes of the answers.
- Compare the strengths and weaknesses of each potential provider to evaluate which one is right for you.
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Questions to ask home health care agency staff: |
- How long have you provided care in my area?
- Do you provide a written Individual Plan of Care?
- Do you have staff on call 24-hours a day?
- Does your agency have State certification?
- Has your agency provided care for people with similar needs to mine?
- Does your agency conduct reference checks and criminal background checks before hiring employees?
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A Good Home Health Care company will: |
- Provide you with a patient bill of rights.
- Advise you about services covered under Medicare or Medicaid and services that you will likely have to pay for yourself.
- Commit to keeping your medical records confidential.
- Have qualified staff re-evaluate your needs regularly.
- Develop an Individual Plan of Care.
- Be responsive to your questions and keep the channels of communication open by informing you of changes in your care plan, medical condition or financial arrangements.
- Coordinate your care plan with your physician and other health care providers.
- Educate you and your family caregivers about your health care needs and how they can be met when no professional staff is present.
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