Home Health Care Defined

Defined as supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals.



Home Health Care Descriptor Definitions

Attendant care/homemaker - provides non-medical support to the disabled and elderly in activities of daily living (for example meal preparation, housekeeping, companionship).

Emergency alert or safety monitoring systems - products that provide the disabled or elderly to receive help if they are in an emergency situation.

Home health aides/home care aides - home health aides and personal/home care aides help people who are disabled, chronically ill, or cognitively impaired as well as older adults who may need assistance and reside in their own homes or in residential facilities instead of in health facilities or institutions. They also assist people in hospices and day programs and help individuals with disabilities go to work and remain engaged in their communities.

Meal delivery - meal delivery to the homes of the elderly and people with disabilities who cannot shop for or prepare food for themselves.

Medication assistance - helps patients find financial assistance to cover the costs of medications and/or assists in medication management.

Occupational therapy - therapies based on engagement in meaningful activities of daily life, especially to enable or encourage participation in such activities in spite of impairments or limitations in physical or mental functions.

Physical therapy - therapies using specifically designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities.

Respiratory therapy - therapies and treatments that help patients recover lung function.

Skilled nursing care - services that must be provided by a registered nurse or a licensed practical (vocational) nurse under the supervision of a registered nurse, to be safe and effective (example intravenous and intramuscular injections or insertion of catheters).

Speech therapy - therapies to treat speech and communication disorders.