About Home Health
Home health care is often ordered by a doctor following a surgery, hospital stay or in order to treat a recent illness or injury. Home health care’s services can be provided in your home rather than a hospital or skilled nursing facility. The goal of home health care is to provide treatment in order to get better, regain independence and become as self-sufficient as possible.
From the Comfort of Your Home
At Home With Shepherd provides a team of health care professionals to care for you:
- Nurses
- Aides
- Therapists
- Social workers
- and Other Specialists
They all work alongside your doctor to care for you in your home.
Some examples of skilled home health services include:
Physical, occupational or speech therapy
Wound Care
Injections or IV Therapy
Nutrition Therapy
Monitoring Patient Health
Patient and Caregiver Education
The Importance of a Care Plan and Interdisciplinary Team
Our staff can provide necessary medical care and will monitor your well-being. Some things you can expect our staff to do during a visit include:
- Check your vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and breathing).
- Review your medications and treatments to insure they are being taken and used correctly.
- Monitor and address any pain you are having.
- Insure you are in a safe environment.
- Teach you or your care givers about your illness or injury and help you learn to take care of yourself.
- Check what you’re eating and drinking.
At Home With Shepherd will work with you, your doctor and anyone else involved in your care to create your plan of care. This document indicates:
- What services you need and which health care professionals should give these services
- How often you’ll need the services
- The medical equipment you need
- What results your doctor expects from your treatment
At Home With Shepherd staff will talk to your doctor about your care and keep your doctor updated about your progress. They will also tell you about any changes in your plan of care and only change it with your doctor’s approval.
Who is Eligible?
You can use your home health benefits if you meet all the following criteria:
- You must be under the care of a doctor and he or she must certify that you need one or more of the following:
- Intermittent skilled care
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- You must be homebound as certified by a doctor. This means your condition prevents you from leaving home without significant help and taxable effort. You may leave home for medical treatment or for short times such as for church or adult day care.
Doctor’s orders are needed to start care. Once your doctor refers you for home health services, the home health agency will schedule an appointment and come to your home to talk to you about your needs and ask you some questions about your health.