.png)
A patient is eligible for Home Health Care services if he/she meets the patient criteria for admission:
Is a resident of the agency’s service area in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and surrounding Counties.
- Is a homebound adult with a physician-certified skilled need.
- Consents to home health care and signs an informed consent.
- Has medical, nursing and social needs that can be met adequately and safely by the agency’s team in his/her residence or an appropriate alternate care location.
If patient has Medicare, he/she can use home health benefits if he/she meets the following conditions:
1. Must be under the care of a doctor and must be getting services under a plan of care established and reviewed regularly by a doctor.
2. Must need and a doctor must certify that the patient needs one or more of the following:
Intermittent skilled nursing care [Medicare defines part-time or “intermittent” as skilled nursing care that’s needed or given on fewer than 7 days each week or less
than 8 hours each day over a period of 21 days (or less) with some exceptions in special circumstances.
- Physical therapy
- Speech-language pathology services
- Continued occupational therapy
3. Must be homebound and a doctor must certify that patient is homebound. To be homebound means the following:
- Leaving home isn’t recommended because of their medical condition.
- Condition keeps patient from leaving home without help (such as using a wheelchair or walker, needing special transportation or getting help from another person).
- Leaving home takes a considerable and taxing effort.
NOTE: A person may leave home for medical treatment or short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as attending religious services.