Discover Home Health Care Pottsville PA

By Beryl Dalton


There are many services that are offered to seniors to assist them in their homes. If you are looking for assistance for a loved one who is not ready to go to long term care, you may want to think about help from home health care Pottsville PA has. This type of service will often prevent a patient from being admitted to skilled nursing prematurely. The patient who can recover at home will do better than the one who does not.

Services can include skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Help may be needed with performing activities of daily living, also referred to as ADLs. These ADLs include eating, bathing, and getting dressed. On a lower level of care the services might include light housekeeping, cooking, laundry, and monitoring the consumers management of medications.

There is a difference between support services and health services. It is important that folks understand what those differences are to ensure that they are getting the help that is needed. Home treatment for a physical condition might include services that are provided by an in home support provider, however they lean more toward medical needs. Support services include chores while health care involves assistance to seniors who are recovering from injury or illness.

The people who provide treatment for physical conditions usually are certified aides, LPNs, and therapists. These individuals work for agencies, public health departments, and hospitals and are licensed with the state. Individuals working with support services do not need to be licensed and depending on the program criteria, do not even need to be certified.

When considering home health services it is important that the agency provides support that is of the highest quality. Check with friends and family to get information to help you make a decision. Also contact your local agency for aging to get information about the service providers near you. They might not be able to make a recommendation but the will offer some helpful information to use when you investigate.

There are a number of questions to ask during your interview with the agencies. For instance, ask every agency how many years they have been in operation. Take a look at the company brochures to gather information about the cost and services. It is important to make sure an agency can meet all the needs of the patient. The agency that is not able to meet all needs should not be considered.

Check to see what type of insurance the agency accepts. While services provided by support agencies are not typically covered, medically based services usually are. Make sure that the quality of care provided is certified by a national organization. Certification is a way to ensure that the providers are held to a certain standard.

Before you start your search take a moment and jot down the questions that you want to get answers to. Ask to see the current license for each agency and ask about their insurance. Also inquire about the level of supervision provided on each case. Make sure you are comfortable with the agency you choose. It is also important to make sure there is always communication between the provider, agency, and the family.




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