Home health care is a service covered by Medicare which is more convenient and effective way for patients to receive the care normally associated with a hospital or skilled nursing facility. In general, the goal of home health care is to provide treatment for an illness or injury in the comfort of your own home. California Nurses Home Health Services will provide home health care to help you get better, regain your independence, and become as self-sufficient as possible.

If you have Medicare, you can use your home health benefits if you meet all the following conditions:

• Intermittent skilled nursing care
• Physical therapy
• Speech-language pathology services
• Continued occupational therapy

• Leaving your home isn’t recommended because of your condition.
• Your condition keeps you from leaving home without help (such as using a wheelchair or walker, needing special transportation, or getting help from another person).
• Leaving home takes a considerable and taxing effort.

If you’re eligible for Medicare-covered home health care, Medicare covers the following services if they’re reasonable and necessary for the treatment of your illness or injury:

• Skilled nursing care: Skilled nursing services are covered when they are given on a part-time or intermittent basis. In order for skilled nursing care to be covered by the Medicare home health benefit, your care must be necessary and ordered by your doctor for your specific condition. You must not need full time nursing care and you must be homebound.
  Skilled nursing services are given by either a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN). If you get services from a LPN, your care will be supervised by a RN. Home health nurses provide direct care and teach you and your caregivers about your care. They also manage, observe, and evaluate your care. Examples of skilled nursing care include: giving IV drugs, shots, or tube feedings; changing wound dressings; and teaching about prescription drugs or diabetes care. Any service that could be done safely by a non-medical person (or by yourself) without the supervision of a nurse, is not skilled nursing care. Home health aide services may be covered when given on a part-time or intermittent basis if needed as support services for skilled nursing care. Home health aide services must be part of the care for your illness or injury. Medicare doesn’t cover home health aide services unless you are also getting skilled care such as nursing care or other physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology services from the home health agency.
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services: Medicare uses the following criteria to assess whether these therapy services are reasonable and necessary in the home setting:
  
  
  1. The therapy services must be a specific, safe, and effective treatment for your condition.
  
  2. The therapy services must be complex or your condition must require services that can safely and effectively be performed only by qualified therapists.
  
  3. One of the three following conditions must exist:

  • It is expected that your condition will improve in a reasonable and generally-predictable period of time.
  • Your condition requires a skilled therapist to safely and effectively establish a maintenance program.
  • Your condition requires a skilled therapist to safely and effectively perform maintenance therapy

  
  4. The amount, frequency, and duration of the services must be reasonable.



• Medical social services: These services are covered when given under the direction of a doctor to help you with social and emotional concerns related to your illness. This might include counseling or help finding resources in your community.
• Medical supplies: Supplies, like wound dressings, are covered when they are ordered as part of your care. Durable medical equipment, when ordered by a doctor, is paid separately by Medicare. This equipment must meet certain criteria to be covered. Medicare usually pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for certain pieces of medical equipment, such as a wheelchair or walker. California Nurses Home Health Services does NOT supply durable medical equipment directly, but our agency staff will may arrange for a home equipment supplier to bring the items you need to your home.

Our patients receive quality care from every member of our clinical team in the comfort of their own homes. Under the direction of your doctor, here is a brief list of treatments we performed for our patients:

• Medication education and management
• Wound Treatment (post surgical or ulcers)
• IV Therapy and management
• Blood Pressure Management and education
• Diabetic Care and education
• Pain Management and education
• Foley Catheter care and education
• G-tube care and education
• Management and education of Congestive Heart Failure
• PT/INR testing and medication management
• Post Hospitalization care and revitalization
• Home Exercise Program and Safety Therapy Training