Home Care Options

Home care is a type of long-term medical care delivered in the home of a patient by medical professionals and support services workers to allow a patient to live as normal a life as possible. The reasons for individuals requiring home care include terminal illness, chronic illness, disability and injury recovery, and there are a variety of options of home care depending on a patient's needs and condition.

Support

• The majority of services provided during long-term home care support services allow a patient to complete everyday activities with the aide of professional assistance. Everyday activities aided by home care professionals include household chores, bathing, eating and bathroom activities. Specialized medical care can also be provided within the home of a patient, including hospice care for cancer patients.

Medical

• Home care services are provided for a variety of reasons, including long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, cognitive heart failure, multiple sclerosis, spinal problems, arthritis and dementia. Home care is often an option for patients with an incurable medical condition that requires ongoing medical care and for those who do not wish to be hospitalized for long periods of time. For people with a terminal illness who are reaching the end of their life, palliative care options are available; this type of home care ensures patients are comfortable during periods of intense pain as they near the end of their lives.

Funding

• Home care for both medical and nonmedical services are offered for patients by a variety of professional bodies. The U.S. federal government provides Medicare-certified home health organizations for those with Medicare medical insurance to choose from. Other organizations offering home care services include area agencies on aging, homemaker services and duty agencies. Other options include the use of medical services and equipment offered by pharmaceutical and drug infusion services. Professional services that are usually available with home care include physical, occupational and speech therapies.

Use

• Around 72 percent of people over the age of 65 in the U.S. will make use of home care services for long-term care options, according to the Center for Home Care Policy and Research. Home care services are available at any time, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, where required. Where medical insurance is used to pay for home care services, a physician's instruction is usually required for medical insurance companies to pay for home care services, and insurance companies generally stipulate the type and amount of home care available to a patient. Where home care services are administered to an individual, it is the responsibility of the provider to make the patient aware of her rights and responsibilities under federal and state law.