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Mississippi Hospice Care - Information on home care agencies, providers, and the services available. New LifeStyles Online: The complete guide to senior housing, assisted living, nursing homes, senior care, senior product and service options. Listing all state licensed senior housing and care providers and more nationwide.
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New LifeStyles Definition - Includes both companies that provide licensed health care services in the home and companies who provide non-medical assistance with such tasks as bathing, dressing, meal preparation and transportation. Medicare and Medicaid provide financial assistance in some cases.
Sometimes associated with Sitter Service - Services of sitters, aides or private duty nurses or therapists in the home, hospital or residential facility on a private pay basis. May include personal care assistance, grooming, medication supervision, light housekeeping, transportation, nursing care or therapy.
Ten Things to Ask Before Hiring a Home Care Agency
"Home care" is a simple phrase that encompasses a wide range of health and social services. These services are delivered at home to recovering, disabled, chronically or terminally ill persons in need of medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment and/or assistance with the essential activities of daily living.
From the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (www.nahc.org)
Generally, home care is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends. More and more older people, electing to live independent, non-institutionalized lives, are receiving home care services as their physical capabilities diminish. Younger adults who are disabled or recuperating from acute illness are choosing home care whenever possible. Chronically ill infants and children are receiving sophisticated medical treatment in their loving and secure home environments. Adults and children diagnosed with terminal illness also are being cared for at home, receiving compassion and maintaining dignity at the end of life. As hospital stays decrease, increasing numbers of patients need highly skilled services when they return home. Other patients are able to stay at home to begin with, receiving safe and effective care in the comfort of their own homes.
Home care services are usually provided by home care organizations but may also be obtained from registries and independent providers. Home care organizations include home health agencies; hospices; homemaker and home care aide (HCA) agencies; staffing and private-duty agencies; and companies specializing in medical equipment and supplies, pharmaceuticals, and drug infusion therapy. Several types of home care organizations may merge to provide a wide variety of services through an integrated system.
Hospice Care / Home Care services Home Care Services are generally available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Depending on the patient's needs, these services may be provided by an individual or a team of specialists on a part-time, intermittent, hourly, or shift basis. Following are descriptions of the various types of home care providers.
Home Health Agencies: The term home health agency often indicates that a home care provider is Medicare certified. A Medicare-certified agency has met federal minimum requirements for patient care and management and therefore can provide Medicare and Medicaid home health services. Individuals requiring skilled home care services usually receive their care from a home health agency. Due to regulatory requirements, services provided by these agencies are highly supervised and controlled. Some agencies deliver a variety of home care services through physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, homemakers and HCAs, durable medical equipment and supply dealers, and volunteers. Other home health agencies limit their services to nursing and one or two other specialties. For cases in which an individual requires care from more than one specialist, home health agencies coordinate a caregiving team to administer services that are comprehensive and efficient. Personnel are assigned according to the needs of each patient. Home health agencies recruit and supervise their personnel; as a result, they assume liability for all care.
Hospices: Hospice care involves a core interdisciplinary team of skilled professionals and volunteers who provide comprehensive medical, psychological, and spiritual care for the terminally ill and support for patients' families. Hospice care also includes the provision of related medications, medical supplies, and equipment. It is based primarily in the home, enabling families to remain together. Trained hospice professionals are available 24 hours a day to assist the family in caring for the patient, ensure that the patient's wishes are honored, and keep the patient comfortable and free from pain. Most hospices are Medicare certified and licensed according to state requirements.
Homemaker and Home Care Aide Agencies: Homemaker and HCA agencies employ homemakers or chore workers, HCAs, and companions who support individuals through meal preparation, bathing, dressing, and housekeeping. Personnel are assigned according to the needs and wishes of each client. Some states require these agencies to be licensed and meet minimum standards established by the state. Most homemaker and HCA agencies recruit, train, and supervise their personnel and thus are responsible for the care rendered.
Staffing and Private-duty Agencies: Staffing and private-duty agencies generally are nursing agencies that provide individuals with nursing, homemaker, HCA, and companion services. Most states do not require these agencies to be licensed or meet regulatory requirements. Some staffing and private-duty agencies assign nurses to assess their clients' needs to ensure that personnel are properly assigned and provide ongoing supervision. These agencies recruit their own personnel. Again, responsibility for patient care rests with each agency.
Pharmaceutical and Infusion Therapy Companies: Pharmaceutical and infusion therapy companies specialize in the delivery of drugs, equipment, and professional services for individuals receiving intravenous or nutritional therapies through specially placed tubes. These companies employ pharmacists who prepare solutions and arrange for delivery to patients. Nurses also are hired to teach self-administration in patients' homes. Some pharmaceutical and infusion therapy companies are home health agencies, certified by Medicare. In addition, some states require these organizations to be licensed. Each company assumes responsibility for personnel and the services rendered.
Durable Medical Equipment and Supply Dealers: Durable medical equipment and supply dealers provide home care patients with products ranging from respirators, wheelchairs, and walkers, to catheter and wound care supplies. These dealers employ staff who deliver and, when necessary, install these products as well as instruct patients on their proper in-home use. Durable medical equipment and supply dealers usually do not provide physical care for patients, but there are a few exceptions. Some dealers offer pharmacy and infusion services, where a nurse administers medication and nutritional formulas to patients and teaches them the proper techniques for self-administration. Some companies also provide respiratory therapy services to help individuals use breathing equipment. Durable medical equipment and supply dealers that bill the Medicare program are required to meet federal minimum standards. Some states require that these organizations be licensed. Each dealer is liable for its personnel and the services provided to patients.
Registries: Registries serve as employment agencies for home care nurses and aides by matching these providers with clients and collecting finder's fees. These organizations usually are not licensed or regulated by government. Registries are not required to screen or background-check the caregivers, but some do undertake these tasks routinely. In addition, although not legally required to, some registries offer procedures for patients to file complaints. Clients select and supervise the work of a registry-referred provider. They also pay the provider directly and must comply with all applicable state and federal labor, health, and safety laws and regulations, including payroll tax and social security withholding requirements.
Independent Providers: Independent providers are nurses, therapists, aides, homemakers and chore workers, and companions who are privately employed by individuals who need such services. Aides, homemakers, chore workers, and companions are not required to be licensed or to meet government standards except in cases where they receive state funding. In this arrangement, the responsibility for recruiting, hiring, and supervising the provider rests with the client. Finding back-up care in the event that the provider fails to report to work or fulfill job requirements is the client's responsibility. Clients also pay the provider directly and must comply with all applicable state and federal labor, health, and safety requirements.
Hospice Care / Home Care providers deliver a wide variety of health care and supportive services, ranging from professional nursing and HCA care to physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapies. They also may provide social work and nutritional care and laboratory, dental, optical, pharmacy, podiatry, x-ray, and medical equipment and supply services. Services for the treatment of medical conditions usually are prescribed by an individual's physician. Supportive services, however, do not require a physician's orders. An individual may receive a single type of care or a combination of services, depending on the complexity of his or her needs. Home care services can be provided by the following professionals, paraprofessionals, and volunteers.
Physicians visit patients in their homes to diagnose and treat illnesses just as they do in hospitals and private offices. They also work with home care providers to determine which services are needed by patients, which specialists are most suitable to render these services, and how often these services need to be provided. With this information, physicians prescribe and oversee patient plans of care. Under Medicare, physicians and home health agency personnel review these plans of care as often as required by the severity of patient medical conditions at least once every 62 days. The interdisciplinary team reviews the care plans for hospice patients and their families at least once a month, or as frequently as patient conditions and/or family circumstances require.
Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) provide skilled services that cannot be performed safely and effectively by nonprofessional personnel. Some of these services include injections and intravenous therapy, wound care, education on disease treatment and prevention, and patient assessments. RNs may also provide case management services. RNs have received two or more years of specialized education and are licensed to practice by the state. LPNs have one year of specialized training and are licensed to work under the supervision of registered nurses. The intricacy of a patient's medical condition and required course of treatment determine whether care should be provided by an RN or can be provided by an LPN.
Physical therapists (PTs) work to restore the mobility and strength of patients who are limited or disabled by physical injuries through the use of exercise, massage, and other methods. PTs often alleviate pain and restore injured muscles with specialized equipment. They also teach patients and caregivers special techniques for walking and transfer.
Social workers evaluate the social and emotional factors affecting ill and disabled individuals and provide counseling. They also help patients and their family members identify available community resources. Social workers often serve as case managers when patients' conditions are so complex that professionals need to assess medical and supportive needs and coordinate a variety of services.
Speech language pathologists work to develop and restore the speech of individuals with communication disorders; usually these disorders are the result of traumas such as surgery or stroke. Speech therapists also help retrain patients in breathing, swallowing, and muscle control.
Occupational therapists (OTs) help individuals who have physical, developmental, social, or emotional problems that prevent them from performing the general activities of daily living (ADLs). OTs instruct patients on using specialized rehabilitation techniques and equipment to improve their function in tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, and basic household routines.
Dietitians provide counseling services to individuals who need professional dietary assessment and guidance to properly manage an illness or disability.
HCAs/home health aides assist patients with ADLs such as getting in and out of bed, walking, bathing, toileting, and dressing. Some aides have received special training and are qualified to provide more complex services under the supervision of a nursing professional.
Homemaker and chore workers perform light household duties such as laundry, meal preparation, general housekeeping, and shopping. Their services are directed at maintaining patient households rather than providing hands-on assistance with personal care.
Companions provide companionship and comfort to individuals who, for medical and/or safety reasons, may not be left at home alone. Some companions may assist clients with household tasks, but most are limited to providing sitter services.
Volunteers meet a variety of patient needs. The scope of a volunteer's services depends on his or her level of training and experience. Volunteer activities include, but are not limited to providing companionship, emotional support, and counseling and helping with personal care, paperwork, and transportation.
About New LifeStyles Online
Whether you are looking for an independent retirement community, assisted living, nursing home, Alzheimer's care, home or hospice care, or other senior product or service, we can help you find what's right for you!
New LifeStyles is the nation’s leading guide to senior housing and care options. We provide basic information on state licensed senior housing communities and care agencies. We also provide more detailed information on selected nursing homes, Alzheimer’s centers, retirement communities, assisted living facilities, residential care homes, home health and hospice companies, and other senior care options & services.
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The first New LifeStyles guide was published in 1987. We currently publish more than 45 guides for metropolitan areas in the U.S. We recently expanded into Canada, partnering with TheCareGuide.com, a Canadian company, and will have 5 guides available for the country by year-end.
Our Web site, New LifeStyles Online, went live in 1995 as one of the first senior housing sites on the Internet. It is designed for seniors, their families and friends, social workers, case managers, physicians, and anyone else interested in searching one place for nationwide senior housing and care options. New LifeStyles Online houses a database of all state licensed senior housing facilities and home health & hospice agencies nationwide. You can view basic information on these companies, as well as contact them through e-mail forms, get more information on them by linking to their sites, take an online tour of facilities, and more!
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