Frequently Asked Questions

Home Health care is a service that permits clients to receive quality health care in the privacy and comfort of their residences.

Working closely with your physician, Memorial Hermann Home Health is focused on achieving the best outcomes for our clients and their families in the areas of skilled nursing care, and therapy. Our industry-leading approach has been shown to achieve significantly better outcomes in the areas of: safety, independence, and care giver burden.

All of our clinicians complete 40+ hours of approved educational courses in these areas as well as identifying safety risks in the home environment and selection and instruction in the appropriate durable medical equipment. The ability to provide the very best outcomes in these areas within the environment of choice is the focus of our treatment plan.

Providing quality care to clients is paramount to all we do. Memorial Hermann Home Health professional nurses and therapists conduct detailed assessments of their client's medical and functional status at admission to the home health service. These assessments are repeated at least every 60 days and at discharge. Monthly, comparisons are made between all clients starting and ending assessments to assure that our services remain effective in helping meet their health care goals.

Memorial Hermann Home Health consistently outperforms its regional home health peers in the achievement of clinical outcomes. Changes are made whenever outcome results indicate a need to alter policies, processes, or personnel. Also each client receives a satisfaction survey that is incorporated into an ongoing evaluation process to continually improve our client satisfaction.

Home Care is an important component in the overall continuum of care. Helping clients and their families to be safe in their environment of choice, regain as much of their independence as possible while keeping burden of care in the low to mild level has been shown to achieve significantly better outcomes for the home bound client.

The following criteria is used to meet Medicare requirements:

• The client must be covered by Medicare Part A. Medicare Part B is required for home medical equipment.
• The client must be homebound. This is defined by Medicare as normal inability to leave the home which requires a considerable or taxing effort.
• The skilled care must be medically necessary as determined by the physician.

Many medical conditions that previously required hospitalization can safely be treated in the home. Basic services offered by Memorial Hermann Home Health is:

• Skilled nursing care, through nursing visits and home health aides visits.
• Infusion therapy/pharmacy services, including antibiotic therapy, hydration therapy, nutrition therapy such as TPN and tube feedings, chemotherapy, and pain management.
• Home oxygen equipment.
• Rehabilitation therapies, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
• Medical social workers.

Additional health care services offered by Memorial Hermann Home Health are:

• Rental and/or purchase of home medical equipment, including hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, and/or bathroom safety equipment.
• Respiratory therapy, including nebulizers, CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and BiPAP (Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure) devices.

Medicare as well as most private insurance plans provide coverage for home care services. Memorial Hermann Home Health staff will verify coverage for the client as well as fill out all necessary forms for insurance billing.

You will not receive a bill until your responsible balance is more than $20.

Memorial Hermann Home Health has registered nurses and pharmacists on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for urgent needs.

Yes. All health care provided in the home is under the direct order and supervision of the client's primary care physician. Some medical supplies do not require a physician's order and are available for direct purchase by the client.