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home health care agency in Phoenix

devoted guardians home health care scottsdaleLooking for a home health care agency in Phoenix?

Devoted Guardians has been committed to improving the lives of seniors and disabled individuals in Phoenix since 2007.

We are an in-home care provider, also now offering home health care services to help seniors and disabled individuals who need at-home medical assistance in Phoenix and the surrounding areas.

A large number of the elderly require some assistance in medical care or/and day-to-day activities. While aging in itself is not a reason for home health care, almost 50% of all people at the age of 85 or older have at least mild Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. These individuals need constant support with healthcare and meeting their basic needs.

What Is Home Health Care?

Home care and home health care (see a chart) are not the same things. Home Care Aides (non-medical care) provide custodial care, helping the person who receives care with their day-to-day activities. Home Health Aides provide medical care and assist with medications, braces, and other medical equipment and can provide a higher level of skilled nursing.

Home health care involves medical care that patients receive at their homes. Home health care covers a variety of health care services that you can receive at your home for an illness or injury.

The main goal of home health care is to help you with an illness or injury. Nevertheless, home health care also aims to help the elderly live independently as long as possible.

Services Provided:

Nursing Services:

Rehabilitation Services:

For a more complete list, you can see https://devotedguardians.com/home-health-care/

What Does Home Health Care Provide?

Home health care commonly includes physical and occupational therapy, skilled nursing, and speech therapy that are provided by skilled medical professionals. For example, home health services may include monitoring serious illness, intravenous and nutrition therapy, wound care for surgical wounds or pressure sores, and injections.

However, the elderly care at home may also include skilled, non-medical care such as assistance with day-to-day activities such as eating, dressing, bathing, transportation, or grocery shopping.

In general, home health care should help you get better and/or maintain your current condition, slow down the decline of your health status, and regain independence.

home health care phoenix

Who Qualifies For Home Health Care? Do I Qualify?

To qualify for home health care in Phoenix, AZ, you have to meet the following criteria:

  1. You need to be considered homebound and a doctor needs to certify that you are homebound. Based on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), to be homebound means that you:
  • Have trouble leaving your home without help because of illness or injury
  • It is not recommended for you to leave home because of your condition
  1. You are under the care of the doctor who certifies that you need one or more of the following:
  • Physical therapy
  • Ongoing occupational therapy
  • A Part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care
  • Speech-language pathology services
  1. Receive home health care from a Medicare-approved home health agency

For instance, if you were recovering in the hospital after an injury and you were discharged, but not completely healed, the discharge papers form your doctor need to indicate that you’re homebound and in heed of short-term skilled nursing care or rehabilitative care. This care needs to provide health care agencies approved by Medicare.

The papers also need to include the plan of care that notifies Medicare and home care agencies of the services and equipment you’ll need.

4. A doctor needs to document that they’ve had a face-to-face contact with you related to the reason you need home health care and that this contact happened within required time frames.

How Much Does Home Health Care Cost?

There are a lot of programs for home health care, and types or levels of care involved in-home health care costs.  An exact number cannot truly be given.  For a real estimate on costs, you’d have to completely explain the situation to a home health care expert. You can call  Devoted Guardians at 480-999-3012. and get a real answer.

This type of care is provided by a licensed healthcare provider and is different than simple ‘home care’, which is more like daily living assistance than medical.

How Much Does Medicare Pay for Home Health Care Per Hour?

Home health care is usually less expensive than care given in a nursing facility or hospital.

The state averages for non-medical home care range up to $28 per hour or more. Home health care involves medical care as well.

Medicare will cover 100% for skilled healthcare services that you may need after hospitalization or change in your health status as long as you are homebound.

A nurse, therapist, or social worker usually cost $70.00 to $100.00 per hour. Medicare and Medicaid will pay 90% of your cost for home health agencies services.

Before you start getting home health care, the home health agency should advise you how much Medicare will pay. They should also inform you if any of the services or items they provide aren’t covered by Medicare.

Finally, the home care agency should give you the Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) before giving you services and supplies that Medicare doesn’t cover.

Medicare doesn’t cover for home aides that help with meal preparations, housework, bathing, and dressing. Also, Medicare doesn’t cover long-term care often required for people with Alzheimer’s, cancer, and many other conditions. However, there are programs available that assist with long-term care costs.

doctor ordered home health care

Is Home Health Care Cheaper than a Nursing Home?

Home health care is equally as effective as the care you would receive in a hospital or skilled nursing facility but is usually less expensive and more convenient.

A survey by Home Instead Senior Care shows that home care is far more affordable than many people realize. An average per-hour cost the surveyed seniors and their families paid for home care was $17.10.

The cost of yearly nursing home care is about $70,000.

$70,000 is almost 75% percent more than home health care.

Will Social Security Pay for a Caregiver?

According to the PayingforSeniorCare.com website, fifteen US states have public assistance programs that allow for spouses or adult children to be paid as caregivers. There are many different types of state programs that allow paying family members as caregivers. These programs include Medicaid HCBC Waivers and Medicaid State Plan

Personal Care Programs

These programs allow the beneficiary to choose whomever they would like as a personal care provider. Therefore, they can elect to hire their spouses as caregivers.

Arizona’s Self Directed Attendant Care (SDAC) allows participants to hire, train, and even fire their care providers. The program is intended to allow elderly and disabled Arizona residents to remain at their homes instead of staying in nursing facilities or assisted living facilities. Family members, including your husband or wife and adult children, can be hired as personal care providers, also called Attendant Care Workers.

What Does Insurance Pay for Home Health Care?

Medicare is one of the largest financiers of home health care services in the US. The Medicare home health benefit covers a range of skilled care services and can help you with short-term intermittent medical care needs.

Other insurance options that pay for home health care include Medicaid, Veterans benefits, Long-term care insurance, and Private health insurance.

What Is The Difference Between Home Health Care & Home Care?

Home care is more like daily living assistance, consisting of help around the house with things like grocery shopping, light cleaning, organizing, showering, getting into and out of bed, while home health care is medical care at home. A home health care aide will assist with medications, dosage, and health monitoring.

See the difference in the chart below.

difference between home care and health care

Need Home Health or Medical Aide Service in Phoenix? Call 480-999-3012