Home Health Care - It's Your Choice
By Christina Lonigro

Have you or a family member been hospitalized within the last year? Was it for a scheduled surgery or an emergency that resulted in admission to the hospital? Did the patient or family member decide on the home health agency or rehabilitation facility to continue the recovery process? It is a hard decision! If you have chosen a facility you probably contacted them to ask questions, talked to family and friends for a recommendation, and may have even take a tour. Now how many of you have taken the consideration in choosing a home health care provider?

Have you thought about pre-planning for skilled health care needs by selecting the home health agency that demonstrates the same type of care that you would expect from a skilled nursing/rehabilitation facility? First of all, did you even know that it is your choice! Federal law guarantees your right to choose the home health care provider. It's important to know that you do have a say in a decision that could determine the quality of care you or your loved one receives. It merits the time and energy it takes to make the best choice available. How much do you know about the agency that will be providing the skilled health care in the home?

These are some questions that you should ask:

• How many years has the home health agency been in business?
• What is years of experience for the skilled professionals? Longevity?
• What types of services do they provide? (i.e. physical, occupational and speech therapy, mental health nursing, diabetic nursing educator, wound care specialist, social worker, home health aides, and nursing.)
• Are they locally owned and operated or part of a large nationwide corporation?
• What are patient outcomes based on Medicare's evaluation of care? For this information visit – www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare
• What are the agency's readmission rates to the hospital?
• Does the agency have special disease management programs? (i.e. COPD, Heart Failure and Diabetes) These programs can make a difference in readmission to a hospital.
• Do they accept your insurance? Take the time to find out.

For more information, contact Interim HealthCare, Inc. at (412) 436-2200 or visit www.interimhealthcare.com.

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