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FAQs

What’s the difference between home health, hospice and in-home care?

• Home Health agencies provide skilled nursing and therapy to meet specific medical needs. It is medical care provided in your home, under the direction of your doctor. Licensed medical professionals help you manage chronic health conditions, like heart failure or diabetes. They can help you recover after surgery or a hospital stay. Care is “intermittent” instead of 24-hour care.

• Hospice agencies help those with a life-limiting illness.  They treat symptoms of the disease, like pain or nausea, rather than treating the disease itself. Hospice nurses and doctors are skilled in the latest techniques to help relieve pain and improve your comfort. Social workers, chaplains and volunteers also provide tremendous help and resources for patients and family members.

• In-Home Care / Private Services – In-home care allows people with specific needs stay in their home instead of moving to a long-term care facility. These are specially-trained employees who help with daily activities so you can remain independent. They help with personal hygiene, grooming, light housework, meal preparation, running errands, etc. 

What are the Medicare requirements for home health coverage?

1. You must be “homebound,” which means it is difficult or risky for the patient to leave home. Some examples:

   • Do you need a wheelchair, crutches or help from someone else to leave home?

   • Are you recovering from a surgery that makes it difficult to get in and out of a car?

   • Are you unsteady when walking, or have a history of falls?

   • Are you at risk of infection if you are around the public, possibly leading to more serious illness? 

   • Are you short of breath and need to limit walking?

2. You must have a skilled medical need. A few examples:

   • Managing chronic conditions. This could include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, COPD, kidney failure, cancer, blood disorders, muscular disorders, etc. 

   • Recovering after a hospital stay. You may need help checking your medications, adjusting your diet, learning more about a new diagnosis, or regaining your strength.

   • Care after surgery. You may need skilled care to check incisions, change dressings, check your home for safety hazards, or safely exercise to regain mobility.

3. The agency must be Medicare-certified. The agency must follow very specific Medicare requirements.  This ensures you receive high-quality care safely and with respect. All Sooner Home Health locations are Medicare-certified.

4. You must have a face-to-face visit with your doctor that addresses your primary need for home health. Medicare requires that this is done 90 days before or 30 days after the start of home health services. This helps the doctor order the right home health services to meet your needs.

What does it cost?

Home health is a covered benefit if you have original Medicare (Part A & B).  This means you will have no out-of-pocket expense for these services with original Medicare. Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) have different types of coverage. Some will cover home health, but there may be a copayment involved. We would be happy to check on coverage for you when we do our phone assessment. 

What insurance do you accept?

There are so many different insurance plans, it’s hard to list them all here. However, some of the bigger plans include Medicare, Medicaid, certain Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, HealthChoice, and United. We’d be happy to check on your specific coverage for you when we do an assessment.

How often do you come? Is someone checking me every day?

It varies based on your condition and how many services you need. The care plan is customized to you.  For example, a nurse may come two to three times a week if you are just getting out of the hospital, and then reduce the visits over time. A physical therapist may come once or twice a week and then adjust as you begin to heal. Home health aides make visits depending on specific needs. We will adjust our visits based on your specific needs and the doctor’s orders. If you would like to have someone monitor your vital signs each day, ask about our Remote Patient Monitoring services.  Each day you can check your blood pressure, weight or oxygen levels on special equipment in your home. A nurse monitors them from a central location, and contacts you and / or your doctor if there is a concern. This is not 24-hour emergency monitoring, but a way to watch trends over time. By catching problems early, you can often avoid an emergency room visit or hospital stay. 

How long does home health last?

Every situation is different, but most people use the service for two to four months. Some stay on longer for complex medical conditions. Others just need a few visits to help safely recover from joint replacement surgery. Our goal is to give you the skills you need to live safely and independently at home.

Are you local?

Sooner Home Health and the other agencies in the Oklahoma Home Care Network are Oklahoma-owned and operated. We live in your community and understand the challenges and resources available for patients in our state.