If you are considering a little help at home for mom or dad, don’t get overwhelmed. Arm yourself with education and resources to help make decisions more informed and easier.
One of the first things you’ll need to do is discuss a budget with your parent. Graceworks at Home has two separate arms: Hands at Home and Health at Home. Hands at Home provides a little assistance around the house, medication reminders, meal preparation and more. Services are private pay. Health at Home is Medicare certified and provides skilled nursing care for clients in their home. Insurance dollars may be used for Health at Home.
Medicare pays for skilled health care under specific circumstances. The client must meet all of the Medicare eligibility criteria:
- The patient must be homebound after a doctor’s care;
- The patient must need skilled nursing care, or occupational, physical or speech therapy, on at least an intermittent basis;
- The services provided must be under a doctor’s supervision and performed as part of a home health care plan;
- The client must be eligible for Medicare and services must be medically necessary;
- The home health agency providing care must be Medicare certified.
Some long term care insurance policies will help pay for home care as well. Hands at Home will not submit a claim on your behalf, but will provide forms so you may submit for reimbursement. If you have questions regarding your long term care policy and reimbursement, contact your insurance provider.
Some good resources for advice on paying for home care include your Area Agency on Aging and the Senior Resource Center. The American Elder Care Research Organization has created a website called Paying For Senior Care which has lots of information about creating budgets, how to navigate private pay versus Medicare and even tips to lower home care costs.
