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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I (or a loved one) need home care?

2. Can I get supportive private care and medical private care at the same time?

3. Can I interview the caregivers that you will send to my home?

4. Who pays for private care?

5. When does Medicare pay for home care?

1. Do I (or a loved one) need home care?

   Generally, home care is appropriate whenever someone prefers to stay at home, but requires ongoing care that cannot be provided by family and friends alone. Many people want to stay at home rather than go to a nursing home, group home or assisted living home when they can no longer manage their own care without help.

   Looking at how well someone is doing on their own can help in determining if home care is the right choice. Review the following questions. If the answer to any of the questions is "yes", then the individual would likely benefit from home care services.
   • Does he/she need assistance with activities of daily living - activities like bathing, dressing, and eating that people usually do without help?
   • Does he/she require ongoing medical treatment such as IV therapy or wound care, or assistance with medical equipment such as catheters, ostomy bags, or prostheses?
   • Are there concerns about his/her safety when left alone in the home?
   • Does he/she suffer from loneliness, isolation, depression, or need companionship?
   • Are family and friends unable to meet his/her needs without significant stress themselves?

   Early warning signs that a person needs home care include:

   • Difficulty with walking
   • Difficulty with activities of daily living
   • Falling at home
   • Making mistakes with medications
   • Confusion
   • Depression
   • Weight loss
   • Disheveled appearance
   • Frequent, nonspecific phone calls
   • Frequent visits to the Emergency Room and/or frequent hospitalizations
   • Family concerns about the individual

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2. Can I get supportive private care and medical private care at the same time?

   Yes, many clients have nursing services to set up medication cassettes and also have caregivers that help with daily living activities. It is also possible to have doctor-ordered home health care services like physical therapy while still receiving caregiver services. With Nightingale, you can rest assured that your nurse will evaluate all of your needs and configure your care plan to incorporate all of the services you need and make sure that your insurance is billed when at all possible. Back to Top

3. Can I interview the caregivers that you will send to my home?

   Nightingale Homecare prides itself on matching clients to caregivers that can effectively meet their needs. Clients need not interview caregivers, since Nightingale will happily and immediately replace any caregiver that is not a good fit. This is actually a benefit, since having to interview every caregiver prior to their placement would make it impossible to quickly get a replacement when needed, such as during a caregiver illness. Nightingale also works hard to limit the number of different caregivers that it assigns to a client. Depending on how many hours of care are needed, it may be possible to place a single caregiver. Back to Top

4. Who pays for private care?

   Nightingale Homecare is experienced in delivering cost effective services designed to provide clients with the assistance they need. Our Case Managers design realistic care plans that take finances into consideration. While some insurance companies pay for all or part of home care services, more commonly, clients pay for private care services directly.

   If a client is unclear about whether insurance will pay for private care services, Nightingale Homecare will be more than happy to contact the insurance company to verify available benefits. This is one more way Nightingale Homecare's takes the stress out of arranging home care, especially at a difficult time.

   When home care services are ordered by a physician, they are most often paid for by a third party, such as Medicare or private insurance. In some situations, even doctor-ordered services will only be partially covered or will not be covered at all by insurance and clients or their families pay directly. Nightingale is happy to discuss specific needs and situations. Just call! Back to Top

5. When does Medicare pay for home care?

   Medicare Part A (Hospital Benefit) will pay 100% for home care visits if:

   • Services are ordered by a physician.
   • The client qualifies as homebound because of illness or injury.
   • The client needs part time or intermittent nursing care, or physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy.
   • Home health aide services (i.e. bathing), are only covered if the patient is receiving nursing care, physical, or speech therapy.
   • Routine medical supplies needed by the home health nurse, such as bandages or catheters are also covered under the Medicare Home Health benefit.

   Services that are not covered include:

   • Full time nursing care,
   • Medications,
   • Homemaker/housekeeping help, and
   • Routine custodial care.

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