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If you or your loved one has recently had a stay in a hospital, rehabilitation facility or skilled nursing home, there is a good chance that upon discharge you may receive Home Health Services from a licensed home health agency. Home Health Services are different than Home Care, and it is important to understand the distinction.

Home Health Services are typically covered by Medicare and private insurers. You may receive visits from a Registered Nurse, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Medical Social Worker, Speech Pathologist or Home Health Aide. The Initial Assessment visit will be the longest, followed by visits from other staff as designed from your Plan of Care. Your physician, family, home health staff  and you will tailor an individualized plan to meet your needs and goals. The medically defined and physician ordered services of a Home Health agency are not a replacement for the more time-extended services offered by Home Care agencies, such as Central Coast Senior Services, Inc. which are designed to help seniors age safely in their own homes.

Services provided by Home Care Agencies are  not covered by Medicare, but may be covered by Long Term Care Insurance. Our services are either paid for directly by our clients or by Long Term Care Insurance policies. If you are currently receiving Home Health services from an agency such as VNA, our Attendants and supervisors work in coordination with VNA to support your optimal recovery after discharge from a hospital or convalescent home.

A major goal in health-care today is to reduce re-hospitalizations and improve the health outcome for senior patients after discharge from a facility. Short-term in-home care in the early days of recovery can substantially help seniors fully recover from illness or surgery, and help to reduce the incidence of re-hospitalization after discharge. (see our Short Term Home Care Page)

“…home care intervention for at-risk hospitalized elders reduced readmissions, lengthened the time between discharge and readmission, and decreased the costs of providing health care.”

Journal of the American Medical Association  Naylor MD, et al. 1999 Feb 17;281(7):613-20. Link to article abstract on PubMed.gov

Partnership with Central Coast VNA & Hospice

We have a  longstanding close working relationship with Visiting Nurse Association and  Hospice. VNA is the preferred licensed home health agency and home hospice in Monterey County. To improve patient outcomes served by both agencies, we have recently joined in a Care Coordination Agreement with VNA and Hospice  (click here to see more on VNA)

Our Home Care Coordinators are tuned in to the needs of our clients receiving Home Health Services, and will help assure that your physician’s orders and the recommendations of nurses and therapists are implemented by your Personal Attendant. They will also report any changes to your VNA nurse case managers that might arise between visits from the Home Health nurse.

Beyond our partnership with VNA, Central Coast Senior Services, Inc. will work with the home health agency of your choice to improve post-hospitalization outcomes, and most importantly, to help reduce re-hospitalizations during recovery.