Home Health

We serve individuals recovering from a wide range of surgical procedures or illnesses.  These include:

• Joint replacements
• Back surgery
• Orthopedic fractures
• Heart surgery 
• Wound care
• IV therapy
• COPD
• Clients recovering from pneumonia, strokes, and other acute illnesses.
• Chronic illnesses including diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Here, we focus on teaching and stabilizing chronic conditions.

As our home health agency is certified by Medicare, there are very specific requirements for receiving home health services. These requirements include the following:

• Services we provide are physician ordered.
• Services ordered are “skilled” services including skilled nursing, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
• The client is homebound. Here it is difficult for the client to leave home and is done very infrequently. For example, a client could leave home for a doctor’s appointment.

Our staff assesses, educates, and provides skilled care during each visit to the home. Progress with treatment and/or concerns are communicated to your physician so that changes can be made to your plan of care. Needed changes in your care plan could include medications, diet, or frequency of home visits. 

Physical therapy is a treatment provided by licensed healthcare professionals that you might need when health problems or surgery make mobility difficult. Physical therapy can help improve movement, and activity and educate you on ways to manage your pain. Exercise instruction to improve and restore strength, balance, and coordination is included.

The goal of physical therapy is to make daily tasks and activities easier. Some examples: walking, going upstairs, or getting in and out of bed. Physical therapy can help with recovery after some surgeries and provide a home exercise plan (HEP). Your doctor may suggest physical therapy for injuries or long-term health problems such as:

• Back pain
• Difficulty walking
• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• COPD
• Balance and coordination deficiency
• Parkinson’s disease
• Difficulty performing activities of daily living

Your physical therapist will evaluate you and make a treatment plan. Depending on your health problem, your therapist will help you with flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, and/or balance.

The role of the Occupational Therapist (OT) is to help clients find ways to perform their everyday “occupations” in a safe and independent manner following surgery, injury or illness. Most often, these daily occupations include daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, money management, etc.  Examples of what an OT may do are as follows:

• Help a client use a bath bench to safely enter and exit the shower following hip surgery.
• Teach a person with low vision adaptive techniques to prepare a meal.
• Make recommendations regarding equipment or home modifications that will make the home safer.

We recommend that our clients or family members contact us as soon as possible when home health services will be ordered by your physician. For example, prior to an orthopedic procedure such as a knee or hip replacement, clients are welcome to meet our staff to discuss how care will transition from the hospital to home health services. We believe that the bonding process will only enhance the recovery process and let us answer any questions you may have.

When you have completed your procedure at the hospital, a case worker will ask you if you have selected an agency for your home health care. Usually, you will be given a list of home health agencies operating in your county of residence. Here are some suggestions to assist you with this process:

• It is your right to choose your home health agency.
• Talk to your primary care physician, family members and friends about which home health provider can best meet your needs.  Let your physician and family members, and hospital staff know which home health agency you prefer.
• When you choose the Adair County Health Department’s Home Health Agency you will receive services certified by Medicare and also help support public health services in your community.

We accept payment from the following: 

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Private Insurance
• Veterans Administration (VA)
• Workman’s Compensation
• Private Pay