What Is Medical Home Health Care?
Medical home health care, also just called home health care, provides you with the same type of care you would receive in a facility like a nursing home right in your own home. This type of care can include skilled nursing care, physical therapy, and assistance with medications, but really depends on what’s been prescribed by your doctor.
Medical home health care is licensed medical care provided in your home. It is very different than non-medical home care, in which caregivers help with daily activities such as bathing, getting dressed, grooming, moving about, and managing and taking medications.
Medical home health care is typically provided by licensed medical professionals like nurses or physical therapists, who will only perform specific tasks that have been prescribed by your doctor.
What Is Medical Home Health Care Like?
With medical home health care, licensed medical professionals such as RNs and LPNs will give you the medical care you require right in your home. However, they will only provide the specific services prescribed by a doctor. The medical professionals who come to your home to care for you are typically assigned by a state-licensed home health care agency.
It’s important to note that your doctor’s orders are typically needed to begin home health care. Once your doctor refers you for services, the home health care agency will usually schedule an appointment and come to your home to talk to you and your family about your needs, and to ask questions about your health. And as the agency’s staff cares for you, they will provide the doctor with updates on your progress.
Home health care is often used following surgery, when you are able to leave the hospital, but still require medical attention. If that’s the case, the nurses caring for you will perform tasks like changing bandages on wounds, inserting and removing catheters and IVs, giving you injections for pain and monitoring your progress. You may also need home health care if you’re suffering from an illness or have an unstable health status, and want to stay in your home.
Besides medical care, home health care services will often include educating the patient and family on how to provide ongoing care and on things like diet and nutrition.
Medical home health care may be delivered in conjunction with other types of home services, such as companion care, in which a home companion spends time with you and helps with household chores, cooking, errands and transportation; and non-medical home care, which is when a home care aide assists you with personal care like bathing, grooming, going to the bathroom, and moving about in your home.
Is Medical Home Health Care Right for Me?
Consider these statements below to determine if they describe you:
- I need medical or nursing care on a regular basis.
- I like having my own living space.
- I like being independent.
- I do not want to leave my home.
- I prefer to live on my own, but do not have a relative or friend who can stay with me all the time.
- I need help getting in and out of the bathtub or taking a bath or shower.
- I need help getting dressed.
- I need assistance with personal grooming.
- I get my medicines mixed up or can’t remember when to take them.
- I can no longer cook or need help preparing meals.
- I can no longer drive or can only drive very short distances.
- I no longer feel safe in my home.
- I feel isolated in my home.
If most or all of the above Independence statements apply to you, then medical home care is a good option if you are able to stay in your home.
- If you are unable to stay in your home, then also consider skilled nursing care.
- If most or all of the Daily Living statements also apply to you, then you should consider companion care, in addition to medical home health care, if you are able to stay in your home.
If most or all of the above Independence and Daily Living statements apply to you, but you do not need nursing or medical care on a regular basis, then companion care may be a good option for you if you are able to stay in your home.
- If you are unable to stay in your home, then you may want to consider assisted living.
What to Expect from Medical Home Health Care?
According to Medicare, home health care staff should typically perform the following tasks when caring for you:
- Check what you’re eating and drinking.
- Check your blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and breathing.
- Check that you’re taking your prescription and other drugs and any treatments correctly.
- Ask if you’re having pain.
- Check your safety in the home.
- Teach you about your care so you can take care of yourself.
- Coordinate your care. This means they must communicate regularly with you, your doctor, and anyone else who gives you care.
If you receive home health care following surgery, they may also provide the following types of services:
- Changing bandages on wounds
- Inserting and removing catheters and IVs
- Giving you injections for pain
- Administering medication
- Monitoring your progress
Keep in mind that services will vary depending on what your physician has ordered.
Home health care costs can vary based on where you live and the length of time you need care. Home health care that is ordered by a doctor is typically covered by Medicare, but only for a limited amount of time.
According to Genworth’s 2016 Cost of Care Survey, the National Daily Median cost of Home Health Care in the United States is $127 per day.
Introduction to Charlottesville, Virginia and Surrounding Areas
The central Virginia city of Charlottesville is nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, approximately 70 miles northwest of Richmond and 100 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Established as a town in 1762 and incorporated as an independent city in 1888, Charlottesville is autonomous and not subservient to any county or other political subdivision. Major highways through Charlottesville are U.S. Route 250, U.S. Route 29, and Interstate 64.
Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia, which was founded in 1819 by native son Thomas Jefferson. Consistently listed among the top ten public universities nationwide, the university is a strong factor in the city's community life and serves as the area's focal point for cultural and sporting events. Steeped in historic value, the Charlottesville area lays claim to having raised three ex-Presidents (Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, and James Madison), whose former homes are now historic sites and architectural wonders which attract thousands of visitors every year.
Owing largely to the presence of the university, the technology industry is a continuously growing staple of the local economy. More traditional industries like agriculture are also prominent in the region, which embodies nearly 200,000 acres of orchards, vineyards, and cattle farms. The region's fastest growing industry is the grape business. Local wines and vineyards are nationally recognized and the area is highly ranked among the country's wine producers. Another significant local industry is horse farming, as evidenced by the more than 13,000 horses stabled in the city and surrounding county.
Things to do and see in Charlottesville
Nearly two million travelers per year visit the Charlottesville area to see the area's historic sites and take in the spectacular scenery of Central Virginia. Perched on a nearby mountain overlooking the city is Monticello, the former home of Thomas Jefferson, which offers tours and hosts special events and ceremonies. Only a mile down the road from Monticello is Ash Lawn-Highland, former home of James Monroe. Here visitors can explore beautiful gardens and enjoy the Ash Lawn Opera Festival, which offers six to eight weeks of full-length opera and musical theatre productions. About 45 minutes north of Charlottesville is Montpelier, the former home of James and Dolly Madison. This is a 2,750-acre estate that includes racecourses, a National Landmark Forest, active archaeological sites, and more than 130 buildings.
Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County are a paradise for nature lovers. Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway offer breathtaking views of valleys and mountains to tourists who don't even need to leave their cars. Hikers can enjoy the many short and long trails which wind through the woods off these roads. Charlottesville is also home to a large number of parks with playgrounds, picnic areas, public tennis courts, and swimming pools. Other popular area activities are hot air balloon rides, golf at world-class resorts, and tours of one of the many local vineyards in the area, a few of which are listed here:
- Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery
- DelFosse Vineyards and Winery
- Jefferson Vineyards
- Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard
Charlottesville has an active art, music and theater scene. The Downtown Mall, one of the longest outdoor pedestrian malls in the country, is the location of the Virginia Discovery Museum. A 3,500 seat Charlottesville Pavilion Amphitheater attracts big name acts to the area. The newly renovated Paramount Theater hosts Broadway shows and concerts by nationally-known entertainers. The city also hosts an annual Virginia Festival of the Book, and is home to many prominent writers including John Grisham and Rita Mae Brown, as well as former home to Edgar Alan Poe and William Faulkner.
Charlottesville has no professional sports teams, but local sports fans are captivated by the University of Virginia Cavaliers, who have a wide fan base across the region. Cavalier football games are played in Scott Stadium, which is also used as a venue for large concerts by such artists as the Rolling Stones and the Dave Matthews Band. The John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006, is where the University of Virginia basketball teams play their games. This new stadium is one of the largest in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Not surprisingly, The University of Virginia has an active athletic rivalry with Virginia Tech. An even older rivalry (often referred to as "The South's Oldest Rivalry") exists between the Cavaliers and the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels.
Horseracing fans can enjoy the exciting world of steeplechase racing, held every fall and spring at The Foxfield Races.
Charlottesville Public Libraries
Jefferson-madison Regional Library
201 EAST MARKET STREET
Library Web Site