THE SERVICES

There are approximately 6,500 home health care agencies in the United States certified by Medicare and about 5,000 others that provide different forms of home care services. There are different types of services provided by a full service home health agency. These are:

Skilled Home Care Nurse
Provide needed nursing care at home with the full range that a hospital nursing care can provide including intravenous (IV) insertions. License Practical Nurse (LPN) can most times perform the function of a regular nurse with the exception of IV insertion, and those duties specifically assigned to a registered nurse.

Home Makers
These services are provided by aides, and infrequently by an LPN. Care provided includes bathing, dressing the patient unable to, preparing meals, and doing necessary house chores for the patient's comfort

Physical Therapy
For those patients with movement problems either secondary to surgery, stroke, or other medical conditions, accelerated and graduated home physical therapy may be needed for the complete recovery of the patient.

Dietician/Social Service/Counseling/Speech/Occupational Services
Some agencies may provide needed services not usually seen in the traditional home health care arena. In most other cases however, the hospitals provides adequate services.

Infusion Therapy
Most home health care services either themselves or through hired professionals provide home infusion therapy for the clients that needed intravenous medications at home.