Home Health Care and Cost Effectiveness

Home health care is a great form of nursing care for people who do not need to be institutionalized in a nursing facility but instead need some form of intermittent care. Home health care as defined by Medicare, "is care that is given fewer than 7 days per week or less than 8 hours per day." Home health care is ordered by a physician due a patent's capabilities.

Most often home health care is the most cost effective form of care because it is given intermittently instead of around the clock. Often times home health care is provided through nurses and therapists for rehabilitation purposes within the home. However there are some cases where families choose to have nurses and medical assistants in the home giving care 24/7 to keep from institutionalizing the person in need.

I saw the latter scenario play out many years ago. My mother worked as a nurse and for a period of time she worked in home health caring for an elderly woman in her family home. I learned that this was not a woman with minor medical needs with daily living activities. Instead this woman was in a room that looked like it could have been in a hospital. This woman needed skilled nursing care, not intermittent care. Of course this was a costly form of care as well.

I've also been witness to another home health care situation. This case involves my 86 year old grandmother-in-law who has diabetes. For a number of years she has been dealing with diabetes. About three years ago she started having complications. Not long after I married her grandson she had surgery to remove her big toe. Unfortunately, she continued to have poor circulation and her leg was removed almost to her knee. After surgery she first stayed in a rehabilitation center for a short period of time, but after she was released she received home health care. Daily she would receive therapy in the home and learn to walk again with a prosthesis. Her care was provided through Medicare.

Home health care is a great way to keep people close to their families while receiving the care they need. If used properly, it can be a cost effective method to give healthcare.


source: Long-Term Care Managing Across the Continuum author: John Pratt