FAQ

Q. Who pays for home health services?
A. Home health services are benefits under Medicare and Medicaid programs. Many insurance companies offer the home health benefit.

Q.What types of care can I receive through North Idaho Home Health? ?
A. Home care provides a wide range of professional care which can include wound care, dressing changes; physical, occupational or speech therapy; teaching about your disease and IV therapy.

Q. How do I get a referral for home health care?
A. If you believe you are eligible for home health care, you can contact your doctor and request a referral for North Idaho Home Health. You may also contact us directly to learn more about our services.

Q. My mother lives alone and has been falling and seems a little confused. Can North Idaho home health help her?
A. In most cases, yes. Our intake department would call your mother's doctor and receive initial orders to see your mother. To meet the criteria for Home Health services, your mother must be home bound. If the doctor gives us an order to see your mother, a nurse could evaluate her vital signs, lung sounds, medication usage, safety in the home and report back to the doctor with suggested follow-up plans.

Q. What do you mean by "homebound"?
A. Home bound status means that it takes great taxing effort for a person to leave the home and in most cases only leaves home for MD appointments.

Q. How do I find out if I am covered for home health services?
A. Our professional intake department will make the necessary calls to your insurance company and will discover the amount of home health coverage your insurance company will pay for.

Q. What services does home health offer?
A. Registered nurses, Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, medical social workers, and home health aides. All professional services work under the direction of the patient's physician and require orders from the doctor to provide a service.

Q. Who makes a referral to home health?
A. Referrals come from a patient's physician, facility discharge planners, social workers, family members and the patient themselves.

Q. What kind of training does your staff have?
A. All staff have current licenses specific to their discipline. The staff also attend to their on-going education necessary to maintain a current license. Our agency also provides the staffs with in-services all year long, which are specific to the needs of the home health industry.

Q. What are the goals for home health services?
A. The primary goal is to help the patient maintain or become independent in the home. Home health services help the patient with activities of daily living, home safety, strengthening exercises, education of the patient and family; as well as medication management and rehabilitation as needed. All services are under the direction of the patient's physician and when independence is gained, home health services are discontinued.