1. What is home health ?
Answer:
Home health involves services provided at home by nurses, therapists and aides are colectively termed as home health services.
To qualify for services under Medicare and related plans clients must meet the homebound status criteria, and must be under a medical plan of treatment supervised by a physician. Criteria to qualify for home health services under
Medicaid or other insurance plans differ from Medicare requirements.
2. What is meant by Homebound status? Does that mean one has to
be bed-ridden to obtain services?
Answer: No,
one doesn't have to be bedridden to be considered home-confined by Medicare. Please click here for further details on how this applies (per Medicare guidelines for coverage of services).
3. What services does AmeriCare Home Health provide?
Answer:
AmeriCare provides a complete range of services inclusive of skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language
pathology, home health aide services and medical social work.
4. What are the differences between the different types of rehabilitation
therapies?
Answer:
PHYSICAL THERAPY is the health profession involved in the promotion of health
, the prevention of disability and rehabilitation of clients through evaluation and treatment of conditions using agents such
as manual techniques, short wave diathermy, ice, water, heat, paraffin, diapulse, laser, electrical stimulations, exercises,
ultra-sound, etc.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY is the health profession involved in the treatment
of various physical and mental disorders via occupation of the human mind and body in purposeful activities to promote functional
independence. Occupational Therapy may use a variety of tools including exercises, adaptive devices, adaptations, orthoses,
physical agent modalities, etc., to improve the functional performance components.
SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY is the health profession involved in the evaluation
and treatment of cognitive-linguistic/ communication disorders such as aphasia, dysphasia, dysarthria, etc., and, swallowing
dysfunctions (dysphagia).
RESPIRATORY THERAPY is the health profession involved in the treatment of
pathophysiologic alterations of gas exchange in the cardio-pulmonary system by the use of respirators, aerosols, oxygen, gas
mixtures, etc.
5. Why would I need physical or occupational therapy?
Answer: You
may need Physical/ Occupational Therapy for:
- Wellness/ fitness program
- Weakness after hospital stay
- After surgery- hip, knee, shoulder, carpal tunnel, heart,
other areas
- For medical condition such as:
- After a heart attack
- COPD/ Emphysema
- Fractures
- Amputation
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Parkinsons
- Frozen Shoulder
- Muscle Injury
6. Why would I need the services of a speech-language
pathologist/ therapist?
Answer: You would need the services of
a Speech therapist if you have had-
- Stroke
- Parkinson's
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty with memory tasks, or organizing/ perfrming tasks
as before
- Difficulty with swallowing
- Aspiration Pneumonia
7. What modalities do physical and occupational therapists use to treat with?
Answer: Depending upon your condition,
physical/ occupational therapists may use or recommend -
- Manual Therapies/ Exercises
- Water
- Heat
- Electricity
- Ultrasound
- Diathermy
- Laser
- Infra-red therapy
- Orthoses
- Adaptive & supportive devices/ techniques
- Goal-oriented activities/ functional tasks
- Environmental Modifications
8. What modalities do speech therapists use to treat?
Answer: Speech therapists use a variety
of tools as well:
- Oral- motor exercises
- Electrical/ thermal stimulation
- Diet Modification
- Communication devices
- Adaptive technology/ techniques to improve communication
and/ or swallowing, etc.
