What is home health care?

Home health care provides medical and non-medical support to individuals in the comfort of their own homes. Services can include skilled nursing, therapy, personal care, and companionship—all tailored to the patient’s needs.

How is home health care different from assisted living or nursing homes?

Unlike assisted living or nursing homes, home health care allows individuals to receive personalized care without leaving their homes. It’s a more flexible, cost-effective, and comfortable option for those who need assistance but wish to maintain independence.

Why should you choose a licensed and accredited agency like ours?

Being licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and accredited by The Joint Commission (JCAHO) means we meet the highest standards for safety, quality, and professionalism. You can trust that our caregivers are thoroughly vetted and our care plans follow strict guidelines.

Who is eligible for home health care?

Anyone who needs assistance due to aging, illness, recovery from surgery, or disability may qualify. We serve:

• Require significant effort: Leaving home would require considerable and taxing effort.

• Have a medical condition: Their medical condition prevents them from leaving home without assistance.

• Rarely leave home: They leave home infrequently, and when they do, it requires considerable effort.

It’s important to note that being home-bound doesn’t necessarily mean bedridden. Individuals can still engage in limited activities within their homes. However, they are unable to leave their home for medical, social, or personal reasons without considerable difficulty or risk.

Does Medicare cover home health care in Illinois?

• For all covered home health services, you pay nothing.
• After you meet the Part B deductible, 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for Medicare-covered medical equipment.

What are covered under home health services?

Covered home health services include:

• Medically necessary part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care
• Physical therapy :including exercise to regain movement and strength to a body area, and training on how to use special equipment or do daily activities, like how to get in and out of a wheelchair or bathtub.
• Occupational therapy :to help you become able to do usual daily activities by yourself. You might learn new ways to eat, put on clothes, comb your hair, and new ways to do other usual daily activities. You may continue to receive occupational therapy even if you no longer need other skilled care.
• Speech-language pathology services
• Medical social services: to help you with social and emotional concerns related to your illness. This might include counseling or help in finding resources in your community.
• Part-time or intermittent home health aide care (only if you’re also getting skilled nursing care at the same time)
• Injectable osteoporosis drugs for women
• Durable medical equipment such as a wheelchair or walker.
• Certain medical supplies like wound dressings, but not prescription drugs or biologicals

Usually, a home health care agency coordinates the services your doctor or allowed practitioner (including a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, and a physician assistant) orders for you. The home health agency caring for you must be Medicare-certified.

Medicare doesn’t pay for:

• 24-hour-a-day care at your home
• Meals delivered to your home
• Homemaker services (like shopping and cleaning) that aren’t related to your care plan
• Custodial or personal care that helps you with daily living activities (like bathing, dressing, or using the bathroom), when this is the only care you need

What do I need to do to Start Home Health?

You have to be seen by your doctor for the past 90 days or you have a projected appointment with your MD for the next 30 days to start home health. This is what we call a Face to Face Encounter with your doctor. A nurse practitioner or physician assistant may perform this encounter, but the home health order must come from your physician.

How quickly can care begin?

In most cases, we can start services within 24–48 hours after the initial assessment.

How do we screen our caregivers?

All our caregivers undergo:
✅ Background checks
✅ License/certification verification
✅ In-depth interviews & reference checks
✅ Ongoing training & supervision

How often will a clinician see me?

The visit frequency is individualized depending on patient needs. Generally, at the beginning of the services, the clinician usually would start with a two to three-times-a-week visit.  Until such time that you are more stable, they may decrease the visit to once a week.  It can always change and would be based on your clinical status.

Which patients most frequently require home health services?

• Chronic conditions or injuries
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Recovery from illness or surgery