Insights

Rehabilitation:

After an acute illness or surgery, people are often weaker than they were prior to a hospitalization. Although, most of us want to get home as soon as possible, sometimes that is not the best solution. In order to ensure a successful recovery, a brief stay in a rehabilitation center is often the best course of action. Nurses that work in rehabilitation centers are trained to assess any wounds you may have and care for them. They are aware of how medications should be administrated and the possible side effects that may need intervention. The nurses in a rehabilitation center can assess you clinically to ensure your recovery is progressing as expected and intervene if it is not. Most insurance will cover a temporary rehabilitation stay, but the criteria for coverage varies depending on the insurance.

Long Term Care and Assisted Living:

Moving yourself or a loved one from home into a long-term care or assisted living setting can be a very difficult decision but at times it is a necessary one. When a person is no longer able to safely live in their home, long term care or assisted living are often the best options. Decades ago, “nursing homes” developed a poor reputation and people are often very resistant to making this transition because of that reputation.  A lot has changed in the long-term care and assisted living setting. Our society has recognized that our elders need and deserve to be in a nurturing  environment that will provide safe and reliable care. Many laws have been established to ensure this happens. Also, the industry as a whole has recognized the need for person centered care which had led to the creation of various program design to keep people engaged. In these environments, nurses often become like a member of the family. The nurses in long term care or assisted living setting oversee the safety of the resident and work with the nursing assistants to ensure the resident’s needs are being met. They also administer medications and assess the effectiveness of the medications. Most Assisted Living communities are private pay so not everyone is able to afford this option but long-term care is generally covered by Medicaid so long as the person qualifies for the need financially and physically. 

Home Health:

When recovery at home is a viable option, having Home Health care involved ensures that you recover safely and to your fullest potential. Home Health care can include Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Social Work and a/or Home Health Aide in any combination depending on the persons need.

Home Health care is often referred when a person leaves the hospital or rehab stable but not fully recovered. Some Primary Care Physicians or even specialist will refer in Home Health care if they feel their patient needs closer oversight of their condition in order to prevent an unnecessary hospitalization.

Home Health is also generally covered by fully by most insurances for an intermittent period of time as long as you are homebound. Being homebound means leaving your home is a considerable taxing effort and your absences are infrequent and of relatively short duration. Most insurances that cover Home Health care do make allowance to the homebound status for medical appointments as well as infrequent, unique social gatherings (i.e. funeral, wedding, graduation).

Home Health nurses can manage your care in collaboration with your physician and an interdisciplinary team to ensure you have all the supportive services in place needed for your recovery as well as provide education regarding your medications, disease process and management. Home Health care nurses can also perform wound care and draw blood in the home. Nurses can also teach patients and family members how to administer IV antibiotics, tube feeds or IV hydration fluids in the home.

Mental Health nurses can work in collaboration with your Primary Care Provider or psychiatrist to ensure you have adequate coping strategies and the right combination of medications if you are struggling with depression or other mental health complications.

If needs are identified that surpass the scope or length of what Home Health services can provide, the team works with people and their families to create a long-term plan and find resources that can help once Home Care is complete.