__________________________________________________________ Chapter 1 The Health Care System 13
Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing, 6th ed.
Home Health Care Services (cont.)
• Speech therapy
• Speech therapists work with patients who have speech or swallowing disorders
• A common indication for speech therapy is aphasia
TALKING POINTS:
• To receive speech therapy in the home that is reimbursed by Medicare, it is necessary to
meet all of the criteria for Medicare.
Home Health Care Services (cont.)
• Occupational therapy
• For conditions that impair upper-extremity movement
• People with arthritis or stroke may benefit from assistive devices for dressing and
other daily personal care and household activities
Home Health Care Services (cont.)
• Social workers
• Provide valuable assistance to families trying to manage chronic illness in the home
• Work with families to identify problems that arise in managing illness at home and
recommend referrals to community resources
Home Health Care Services (cont.)
• Home health aide services
• Provide personal care, such as bathing, ambulating, transferring, skin care, and oral
hygiene for the patient in the home
• Measure and record vital signs and do other basic, nonskilled tasks
• Homemaking tasks, such as making the bed and straightening the patient’s room,
are also common home health aide services
TALKING POINTS:
• What services are inappropriate for home health aides?
Home Health Care Services (cont.)
• Homemaker services
• Usually provided by families or state and local assistance programs
• Duties include common household chores, such as cooking, light housekeeping,
laundry, shopping, and picking up medications
Home Health Care Services (cont.)
• Enterostomal and wound care therapy
• Specialized care of all types of wounds, such as pressure ulcers, surgical wounds,