Home Health Care is customized health care and education provided to patients in the comfort of their own home. It is typically provided on a temporary and intermittent basis following a hospitalization, rehabilitation stay, or a change in health condition. A home care episode may include a combination of nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, medical social workers, and home health aides.

Patients must be considered homebound. This means getting out of the house exerts a considerable taxing effort and may require the assistance of another person or a medical device such as a walker, cane, or oxygen. (An individual receiving home health care may leave the home for short infrequent trips such as church services, doctor visits, trips to the grocery store, hair appointments, or special family events, but generally the individual is confined to the home by their medical condition.)

Skilled nursing care or rehabilitation therapy is medically necessary, reasonable, and ordered by a physician who has current knowledge of your medical condition.  

Skilled home care services are meant to be provided on an intermittent basis rather than on a daily basis.

Eligible Medicare or Medicare Advantage recipients can expect Home Health Care will be covered 100%. There are no copays or deductibles on the Medicare benefit for home health care. Many other insurances, such as Tricare and auto accident insurance, are also covered in full when appropriate criteria are met. Insurance benefits will be verified on an individual basis by the Home Care Wellness intake department prior to the start of the home health care episode. Some Medicare Advantage plans and other commercial insurances will require prior authorization by the agency. Some insurance plans have limited provider networks. Please feel free to call 313-586-4111 with any questions regarding your coverage.  

Patients will be notified prior to the last visit

Heart disease, CHF, Diabetes, Wound Care and vascular conditions, COPD, Pneumonia, Hypertension, Arthritis, Strokes, Parkinson’s disease, Dementia, catheter care, post-surgical care, and for treatment of infections requiring IV antibiotics.

A nurse or rehabilitation therapist will call to schedule a mutually convenient time for the assessment visit. The first visit may last from 1-2 hours and will serve as a comprehensive assessment. This visit will be different from other visits. A care plan will be established with an estimate of the number of visits of each type that will be anticipated to achieve your goals. Following the first visit, your physician will approve the plan of care paperwork and make adjustments as needed.

A home health care episode may run for up to 60 days with intermittent scheduled appointments. The frequency of nursing and rehabilitation visits is customized based on physician orders and individual patient goals and needs. Visits may include teaching instructions for caregivers as well as patients.   

Visits are typically less than one hour to allow time for appropriate documentation following the face time in the home.   

Medicare does not reimburse for custodial, companion services, or hourly care.

There is no limit to the number of 60-day home healthcare episodes a qualifying candidate can receive in a year or a lifetime under current Medicare rules (as of January 2017). If a physician agrees that home care is reasonable and necessary, it can be a good way to help avoid more expensive and traumatic hospitalizations and E.R. visits.

Home Care Wellness proudly wears the gold seal of approval from CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner). CHAP standards go beyond the standard Medicare guidelines for quality of care and safety.

Ask the doctor if he or she feels home care is appropriate to manage your symptoms. If the answer is yes; tell the doctor you prefer to work with Home Care Wellness. Ask for the referral to be sent electronically or faxed to 313-556-2225. Our intake team will take it from there.