Basics of Home Health Care

Home health care basically refers to a wide variety of health and support services delivered to patients in their homes. Home care patients range from new mothers and their newborns to children to disabled workers to persons of any age who are chronically ill or recovering from acute illness.

Home care includes, but is not limited to:

• Seniors needing assistance with daily activities in order to continue living at home
• New mothers and their infants following childbirth
• Post-surgical patients needing assistance with wound care
• Disease management and education
• Rehabilitation
• Chronically ill patients needing skilled supervision and support services

Care is provided to patients by skilled professionals like registered nurses or physical therapists. Home care agencies also frequently enlist the help of occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, medical social workers, nutritionists, diabetes educators, wound care specialists and a host of other disciplines to help care for their patients. For patients requiring home making and personal care services, home health and personal care aides are also available. Together, these professionals are able to deliver cost effective services by reducing hospital stays and preventing or delaying institutionalized care.