Home Health Agencies

Home health care refers to skilled nursing care by licensed personnel. Many home health agencies are giving the best care for the daily health needs of people in a certain area, for health support.

Home Health Agencies provide health care services to the disabled, vulnerable, and ill individuals in their homes. Their health services enable them to live as independently as possible. The public payers, health insurance, and patient’s own resources pay for home health care.

Skilled services include:
• Nursing services
• Medical or psychological assessment
• Pain management
• Nutritional services
• Wound care
• Physical therapy
• Respiratory therapy
• Speech therapy
• Disease education and management
• Occupational therapy
• Home medical supplies and equipment
• Aide services
• Professional medical assessment services, and
• Social work services

Home Health Agencies are all licensed by the state, thus providing care within the minimum health safety standards. This is as established by the rules and regulations. The Health Department enforced standards to agencies by conducting periodically unannounced surveys.

Medicare also certifies health agencies to execute comprehensive assessments of patients that participate in the federal program of Outcome Assessment Information Set (OASIS). It may also pay for services provided by the Home Health Agencies that seek and approve certification done by the Federal Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Mercaid Services (CMS).

Medicaid can be available to low-income individuals and families that have been recognized by the federal law as US citizens or immigrants. Payments are directly sent to the health care providers. A small amount may be asked for medical services. Mercaid is an administered state program, which follows guidelines on eligibility and services.

2005 measures (collected via the OASIS data set) are:
• Improvement in Transferring
• Discharge to Community
• Improvement in Pain Interring with Activity
• Improvement in Bathing
• Improvement in Urinary Incontinence
• Improvement in Ambulation/Locomotion
• Emergent Care
• Acute Care Hospitalization
• Improvement in Dyspnea (Shortness of Breath)
• Improvement in Management of Oral Medication

Additional measure was previously endorsed by the NQF (National Quality Forum) that adds to Home Health Compare in December 2007 and more in 2009. There are several priorities that emerged and expected to be a part of future planning like:
• Integration of measures of process and systems
• Pay for Performance – reimbursements to delivery of care.

The United States indicates the informal nature of most home care with friends and families that provide a substantial care. In formal care, health care professionals such as nurses, the physical therapists and the home health aides are the main persons involved in the process. Skilled services of these individuals are in an intermittent basis, like a scheduled home visits to clients ordered by a physician under a plan of treatment. From this, unnecessary hospitalizations are avoided, especially hospital discharges.

Regarding payment methods, supportive services are contracted with different care agencies on a private-pay basis. Mercaid built a community-based program designed to give the elderly some personal care assistance in their homes as a preference to institutional care.

Florida, as a licensure state acquires different levels of licensing health agencies depending on the services provided.

Here are the application process requirements:
1. Complete details of Application form along with the fee given to the Office of Health Care Survey.
a. Organizational structure description - listing of agency name, administrator, directors, officers, employees, and partners
b. Address of location and phone numbers
c. Service area description and service supervision
d. Offered services
e. Washington State Patrol copy of criminal history
f. Business License copy
g. Liabilities of professional and property damage insurance

2. Reviewing information and acceptance of the application materials
3. DOH will conduct survey and inspections before the issue of license.
Here are some of the many home health agencies that render maximum services to people and comply with the licensing process application.

Home Health Care Services Sacramento, California USA
Sacramento Life Force Home Health Care
Address: 2929 Fulton Avenue, Suite 2967
This is a locally operated and a family owned non-medical Home Health Care Service Agency that is committed to the needs of clients. Dedicated support and assistance of daily life is one of the goals of this agency. It aims to provide services to any person at least 18 years and up. They were able to practice comprehensive plans in giving a 24/7 hour care from 4 hours in three days.

Services Includes:
o Personal Care
o Light Housekeeping
o Light Massage
o Doctor and Hospital Appointments
o Meal Preparation
o Errands
o Assist with Hospice Care
o Walking Companions
o Recreational Activities
o Laundry

Shopping
Passive Range of Motion Exercise
o Medication Reminders
o Fill-Ins (Vacations)
o Provide hospital & convalescent private personal care during
your stay at either facility.
o Provide services for those with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Multiple
Sclerosis (MS), or Parkinson's

Sacramento Life Force Home Health Care has working partners with various organizations such as Visiting Nurse Associations (VNA) with local gerontology and geriatric departments. This agency is also a member of worker’s provider network that gives services to injured workers and their families. All of their staff members are trained and supervised under the direct control, along with full compliance of employment laws and requirements.

It serves the entire Sacramento Metropolitan Region such as; California, North and South Sacramento, East and West Sacramento, City of Sacramento, Central Sacramento, County of Sacramento, City of West Sacramento, Carmichael, Greater Roseville Area, Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Rancho Cordova, City of Folsom and Orangevale.