You've been in the hospital and now you're going home - but it could be that your journey back to health is not complete.
For a number of reasons, people may require home care.
"Home care is a cost-effective alternative for individuals who need care in their home or for people that have recently been to the hospital and are coming home or for individuals wanting to stay in their home and they need skilled care," says Tina Paik, Castle Medical Center education coordinator.
There is a wide range of home care services available.
"We have skilled nursing services which will also help to case manage while they're at home. We have physical therapists, occupational therapists which will look and assess home safety," Paik says.
There are home health aides available and social workers who can help with case management. The length of time the services will be used depends on the individual. Who qualifies?
"Anyone who has a medical condition that requires services and care to be provided by a licensed nurse or therapist and they are homebound or have a great difficulty getting out of the house to get these services from a doctor's office or an outpatient facility," siad Iwalani Andres, RN clinical manager.
How do you going about getting these services?
"If you feel that you qualify for home care services, talk to your physician. If he agrees, he'll complete a referral to home care. Or you an call our office and we can discuss your home care needs," Andres says.
And finally, how does a person go about paying for home care?
"Most of these services are covered by insurance - such as Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances. If you're not sure if your insurance covers these services, you can give our office a call and we'll be happy to investigate that for you," Andres says.
For more information call 263-5077
