Are you struggling with taking care of someone? Do you wonder if your Mom or Dad is really safe at home? Our Senior Decision Guide offers important information for you and your family.

• The truth about home care
• 20 signs your parent may need help
• How to customize care at home
• Choosing a caregiver

And much more! Join thousands of other people who have benefited from this free guide.

Federal hospital law guarantees a person’s right to choose the home care provider that he or she wants in their home following discharge from a hospital. This is an important health care right and we understand how difficult this decision can be.

There are many options available for obtaining care, and we respect your right to choose the services that meet your unique home care needs. If you are being discharged from a hospital, the Discharge Planner should work with you and your family to understand your individual home care needs based on your condition and expected recovery.

If home care is recommended, and you are insured through Medicare, the hospital is required to give you a list of all the home care agencies that can serve you at home, in addition to any hospital sponsored or owned home care services. It is your choice to decide who comes in your home and cares for you.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 prohibits discrimination of post-hospital referrals to home health agencies and other entities.

SEC 4321 entitled “NONDISCRIMINATION IN POST-HOSPITAL REFERRAL TO HOME HEALTH AGENCIES AND OTHER ENTITIES” pertains to notification of availability of home health agencies and other entities as part of the discharge planning process.  This section is amended to add “Consistent with section 1802, the discharge plan shall not specify or otherwise limit the qualified provider which may provide post-hospital home health services and identify any entity to whom the individual is referred in which the hospital has a disclosable financial interest.”

As part of the discharge planning process, hospitals are required to include “the availability of home health services through individuals and entities that participate in the Medicare Program and that serve the area in which the patient resides and that request to be listed by the hospital as available.”

Remember, it is your right to choose your home health care provider.

Support with daily activities

If an older loved one becomes frail or weakened by the progression of an illness or age-related condition, it’s a good time to get extra help at home. This allows your parent or grandparent to continue to live independently in the home they love, getting the support they need to stay safe and happy. This type of care is all about maintaining a good quality of life with maximum independence.

After the death of a spouse

Home care can also be very helpful when a spouse passes. The older loved one now living alone may want companionship or need help with meals, household chores, or driving, as well as support staying active and connected with friends and the community.

When a caregiver needs a break

Something as simple as a family vacation, a change in a family caregiver’s work schedule, a sick child, or caregiver fatigue can also trigger a need for home care. When a family caregiver can’t be there or needs a break to rest and recharge, this type of care is called respite care. Whether it’s for a few hours, a few days, or more, respite care is highly recommended for family caregivers, especially when caring for a loved one with a chronic condition or progressive disease such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or other dementia.

After a serious medical episode

Home care can also be very helpful after a serious medical episode, such as a stroke, heart attack, major surgery, or bad fall. Your physician may recommend professional care to support optimum recovery and rehabilitation at home following discharge. In many cases, setting up professional home care is a requirement for discharge from a hospital or medical facility.

For a chronic condition or illness

In addition to supporting daily activities and providing companionship, home care is also helpful when caring for a loved one with a chronic condition or serious illness at home. This type of specialized care can offer families many benefits: respite care or additional support for family caregivers, assistance when a loved one needs care overnight, help with transferring, lifting, and toileting, as well as managing illness symptoms and treatment side-effects. Setting up quality, personalized home care for someone with a chronic condition or illness can enable that person to continue to live at home with greater safety and comfort.

When time is limited

Near the end of life, home care provides families and their loved ones emotional support and compassionate assistance to improve physical comfort during this difficult time. A care professional can help support hospice workers, provide assistance with personal care when hospice workers aren’t present, or simply be there—24/7 if necessary—so no one ever has to be alone in their final hours. An experienced care professional also knows the best practices and procedures for assisting a person at the end of their life with compassion and sensitivity.