BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuHome health care Home health; Skilled nursing - home health; Skilled nursing - home care; Physical therapy - at home; Occupational therapy - at home; Discharge - home health careGetting Ready to go HomeYou are likely excited about going home after being in the hospital, skilled nursing center, or rehabilitation facility.You should probably be able to go home once you are able to:Get into and out of a chair or bed without much help Walk around with your cane, crutches, or walker Walk between your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen Go up and down stairs Help you may Need at HomeGoing home does not mean you no longer need medical care. You may need help:Doing simple, prescribed exercises Changing wound dressings Taking medicines, fluids, or feedings through catheters that have been placed into your veins Learning to monitor your blood pressure, your weight, or your heart rate Managing urine catheters and wounds Taking your medicines correctly Also, you may still need help taking care of yourself at home. Common needs include help with:Moving in and out of beds, baths, or cars Dressing and grooming Emotional support Changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, and cleaning Buying, preparing, and serving meals Buying household supplies or running errands Personal care, such as bathing, dressing, or grooming Help From Family Members and FriendsWhile you may have family and friends to help, they must be able to do all the tasks and provide all the help you need to ensure you have a quick and safe recovery.If not, talk to the hospital social worker or discharge nurse about getting help in your home. They may be able to have someone come to your home and determine what help you may need.Types of Home CareBesides family members and friends, many different types of care providers can come into your home to help with movement and exercises, wound care, and daily living.Home health care nurses can help manage problems with your wound, other medical problems, and any medicines that you may be taking.Physical and occupational therapists can make sure your home is set up so that it will be easy and safe to move around and take care of yourself. They may also help with exercises when you first get home.You will need a referral from your health care provider to have these providers visit your home. Your health insurance will often pay for these visits if you have a referral. But you should still make sure it is covered.Other types of assistance are available for tasks or issues that do not require the medical knowledge of nurses and therapists. Names of some of these professionals include: Home health aide (HHA) Certified nursing assistant (CNA) Caregiver Direct support person Personal care attendant Sometimes, insurance will pay for visits from these professionals, as well.Open ReferencesReferencesMedicare.gov website. Home health services. www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services. Accessed February 14, 2024.Medicare.gov website. What's home health care? www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/whats-home-health-care. Accessed February 14, 2024.Previll LA, Heflin MT, Cohen HJ. The aging patient. In: Wing EJ Schiffman FJ, eds. Cecil Essentials of Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 126.AllVideoImagesTogTalking to your MD Questions to ask your doctor about post pregnancy careQuestions to ask your doctor about going home with your babyUsing oxygen at home - what to ask your doctor Questions to ask your doctor after knee replacementQuestions to ask your child's doctor about cancerHip or knee replacement - after - what to ask your doctor After weight-loss surgery - what to ask your doctorSelf Care Home health care How to choose a nursing homeWhen you have urinary incontinenceHeart failure in children - home carePulmonary hypertension - at home Laceration - sutures or staples - at homeHow to treat the common cold at homeStaph infections - self-care at homeSkin flaps and grafts - self-careManaging menopause at home Tests for Home health care Home vision testsOvulation home testFlushable reagent stool blood testBlood pressure measurementPolysomnographyRelated Information Review Date: 2/8/2024 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. 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Home health care Home health; Skilled nursing - home health; Skilled nursing - home care; Physical therapy - at home; Occupational therapy - at home; Discharge - home health careGetting Ready to go HomeYou are likely excited about going home after being in the hospital, skilled nursing center, or rehabilitation facility.You should probably be able to go home once you are able to:Get into and out of a chair or bed without much help Walk around with your cane, crutches, or walker Walk between your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen Go up and down stairs Help you may Need at HomeGoing home does not mean you no longer need medical care. You may need help:Doing simple, prescribed exercises Changing wound dressings Taking medicines, fluids, or feedings through catheters that have been placed into your veins Learning to monitor your blood pressure, your weight, or your heart rate Managing urine catheters and wounds Taking your medicines correctly Also, you may still need help taking care of yourself at home. Common needs include help with:Moving in and out of beds, baths, or cars Dressing and grooming Emotional support Changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, and cleaning Buying, preparing, and serving meals Buying household supplies or running errands Personal care, such as bathing, dressing, or grooming Help From Family Members and FriendsWhile you may have family and friends to help, they must be able to do all the tasks and provide all the help you need to ensure you have a quick and safe recovery.If not, talk to the hospital social worker or discharge nurse about getting help in your home. They may be able to have someone come to your home and determine what help you may need.Types of Home CareBesides family members and friends, many different types of care providers can come into your home to help with movement and exercises, wound care, and daily living.Home health care nurses can help manage problems with your wound, other medical problems, and any medicines that you may be taking.Physical and occupational therapists can make sure your home is set up so that it will be easy and safe to move around and take care of yourself. They may also help with exercises when you first get home.You will need a referral from your health care provider to have these providers visit your home. Your health insurance will often pay for these visits if you have a referral. But you should still make sure it is covered.Other types of assistance are available for tasks or issues that do not require the medical knowledge of nurses and therapists. Names of some of these professionals include: Home health aide (HHA) Certified nursing assistant (CNA) Caregiver Direct support person Personal care attendant Sometimes, insurance will pay for visits from these professionals, as well.Open ReferencesReferencesMedicare.gov website. Home health services. www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services. Accessed February 14, 2024.Medicare.gov website. What's home health care? www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/whats-home-health-care. Accessed February 14, 2024.Previll LA, Heflin MT, Cohen HJ. The aging patient. In: Wing EJ Schiffman FJ, eds. Cecil Essentials of Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 126.