The Nursing Home Alternative Medicare Pays For: Home Health Care

Medicare only pays for a limited amount of time in a nursing home. That’s not always the case for home health care, points out Diana DiGiorgi, executive director Old Colony Elder Services, a seniors services agency in Massachusetts.

For people who don’t require around-the-clock nursing care, home health care may be a viable alternative to a nursing home. DiGiorgi writes in a column featured at the Taunton Daily Gazette website:

In order to qualify for Medicare’s home health benefit, a senior must be considered “homebound,” meaning that leaving the home is difficult and done infrequently. A senior may attend medical appointments or leave the home occasionally for other special reasons and still be considered homebound. To qualify for the home health benefit, a senior must need some skilled nursing care periodically or skilled speech or physical therapy.

You can read her full column here: “Helping Seniors Stay at Home.” And you can search for home health care agencies in your area here. Look for those that offer skilled or health services. (Not all do.)

You may also find the following OurParents posts helpful:

• Choosing Home Health Care? Watch out for the Braggers, Says Blogger
• New Home Health Care Medicare Rule: See a Doctor

—

Leigh Ann Otte is a freelance writer who covers finding and paying for long-term care for OurParents.