There are many services that support our aging clients from the comfort of their own homes. With Passionate Healthcare, your care manager can assist with referring you to these additional vetted services. During our assessment we can help determine if the client would benefit from one or more of the following services.
Home Care offers nonmedical services such as meal preparation, bathing, simple daily tasks, light housekeeping, companionship and sometimes transportation. Home care providers can be hired through an agency or privately on an hourly rate. In Oregon, usually hiring caregivers through an agency is roughly $40-$45/hour with 4 hour minimals.
Home Health Care is provided by licensed medical professionals and prescribed by a doctor. Services may include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, and a home health aide. Home Health care is more appropriate for someone who has increased medical needs or recovering from an illness or injury. To qualify for home health you must be deemed home bound- meaning it is a physically taxing effort to leave the home. The cost is covered by Medicare Part A, Medicaid or a private health insurance plan (sometimes with a copay).*Home Care and Home Health Care are often mistaken for each other- they are not the same! Home Health Care is covered by insurance and Home Care is not.
Care Managers- Also called Geriatric Care Managers and Aging Life Care Managers®, are typically licensed professionals in nursing, social work, occupational therapy or physical therapy fields. Care managers provide an in-person assessment and create personal care plans to assist clients with their aging goals. They can coordinate medical appointments, make referrals to other vetted services, and assist with medication management safety. They guide families through complex situations, and can be the eyes and ears for long distance family members. This service is typically paid for privately but may be covered by some long-term care policies. Typical hourly costs are $125-$175/hour in Oregon
Concierge Geriatricians– Some geographical areas offer this service which brings the MD to your home. It is usually somewhat difficult to get visits with geriatricians as we do not have enough of them in this country to cover our aging population. This unique service offers your care team professional help that is much more available than your larger agency MD’s. Some concierge geriatricians can act as the primary care physician for the client or in addition to regular doctor appointments. Concierge Geriatricians that come to the clients homes are not typically covered by insurance and are private pay.
Mobile Outpatient Therapy Services– Similar to home health therapy, this service brings the therapy to the comfort of the client’s home. The client will need a referral from the doctor, however the client does not necessarily need to be homebound. This service is covered by Medicare Part B and cannot be covered simultaneously if the client is also receiving any type of care covered by Medicare Part A. Often these companies will also accept private pay if the client would like continuing with services after insurance has decided they no longer will pay.
Mobile Podiatrists – These foot and ankle doctors travel to the client’s home for assessments and care. This service is ideal for clients that are homebound, have difficulty with ambulation, neuropathy, diabetic conditions. Services can be limited, and x-rays and some ongoing wound care may not be provided with this service. Typically this can be covered under your medical insurance at certain time intervals (example- every 12 weeks).
Socialization Services – These services provide home visits to assist with building connections through conversation and presence with the client. This unique service could meet the client for a walk in the park, at their favorite coffee shop, or in their home. This service is ideal for clients that are lonely, homebound or have recently lost a loved one.
Personalized Chef- Having a personalized chef can assist not only in proper nutrition and delicious food to eat, but also companionship. Often the clients can pick the specific recipes to be made for the week, the chef brings the fixings and prepares the food right in the clients home. The chefs can then put the meals in individual containers to be eaten throughout the week. This is generally private pay, and not as expensive as you may think!
At Passionate Healthcare, we can connect you and make appropriate referrals for the services provided above.
