Caring for a Parent or Spouse at Home

You noticed the change: a fall, a wound that isn't healing, confusion with new medicines, or a diagnosis that made everything harder. You want help that comes to them, and you want to know who is coming.

You can call us first. We work with their doctor on the order, and the doctor decides if home health is right.

Signs it may be time for home health

Sometimes it is one big event. Your dad falls in the hallway on the way to the bathroom. Your wife comes home from surgery with a wound you are not sure how to dress. Sometimes it is slower. The pill bottles on the counter keep multiplying, and the front steps now take both hands on the rail.

• A recent fall, or a new fear of falling, especially with a walker or cane.
• A wound, a surgery, or a hospital stay in the last few weeks.
• New or confusing medicines, or a new diagnosis such as heart failure, COPD, diabetes, or stroke.
• Leaving the house has become a real effort.

If this sounds familiar, home health may be a fit. It is skilled care from a nurse or therapist, at home, ordered by their doctor. Our guide to home health vs. home care explains how it differs from a hired caregiver.

What happens next, step by step

1. You call us at (818) 579-4012. You do not need a doctor's order in hand. We ask a few questions and get things started.
2. We talk with their doctor. Medicare requires a doctor's order and a signed plan of care. We coordinate that with the doctor's office.
3. A nurse or therapist visits, usually within 24 hours after the doctor or hospital sends the order. We call before we come.
4. Care begins. Visits follow the plan of care their doctor signed.

What the first visit looks like

The first visit is often the longest. The nurse or therapist checks vital signs, looks at any wounds, and asks how things have really been going. They go through the medicines in the house and compare them with what the doctor ordered. They watch your mom get up from her chair and walk the hallway to the bathroom, and they notice what you may have stopped noticing: a loose rug, a dim hallway, a bath mat that slides.

Then they talk with you both about who comes, how often, and what the goals are. You also get the name of your coordinator.

What to have ready

• Every medicine in the house, including over-the-counter pills and vitamins, in one bag.
• Insurance cards and a photo ID.
• Hospital discharge papers, if any.
• The name and phone number of their doctor.
• Your questions, written down. Nothing is too small.

Just out of the hospital? Our coming home from the hospital page covers those first days.

What we promise

You get one named coordinator, so you are never starting from scratch. The same nurse or therapist comes whenever possible, and if someone else must come, we call first. We call before every visit. We keep the doctor updated, and with your loved one's okay, you too.

Our team speaks English, Spanish, Armenian, Russian, and Tagalog, which matters when your dad would rather talk about his health in his first language. Speak another language? Call and ask whether we have staff who speak it. If we do not have staff who speak your language, we arrange a free interpreter.

When to call

Between visits, you are the eyes and ears. Call your doctor or nurse if you notice a change: new or worse pain, a wound that looks red or drains more, swelling in the legs or feet, more confusion than usual, a fall, a fever, or a day when they just seem off. Trust your gut and call.

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke (a drooping face, a weak arm, slurred or strange speech), a fall with a head injury or a possible broken bone, or if you cannot wake them.

What family can do

• Be there for the first visit if you can. You hear the plan firsthand and can add what they leave out.
• Keep one notebook. Write down visits, questions, and changes you notice, and bring it to every appointment.
• Clear the path. Move the throw rugs, add a night light in the hallway, and keep the walker within reach of the bed.
• Let them do what they can. It is faster to button the shirt yourself. Most days, it is better to wait.
• Take care of you. Caregiving is hard work. A medical social worker can help you find support in your community.

Cost and who qualifies: with Original Medicare, covered home health is $0 if you qualify, and your doctor decides. See what Medicare covers, who qualifies, and what is not covered.

To qualify, their doctor (or a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) orders home health and signs a plan of care. They need part-time or intermittent skilled nursing or therapy. They are homebound. The agency is Medicare-certified, as we are. And a face-to-face visit with a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant happens within 90 days before or 30 days after care starts. Their doctor decides whether they qualify. Homebound means leaving home is a major effort for you, or your doctor says you should not go out, while doctor visits, religious services, and an occasional short trip like a haircut are still allowed. See Does Medicare cover home health care? and what homebound means.

Medicare does not cover 24-hour care at home, meal delivery, or help with bathing and housekeeping when that is the only care needed. A home health aide is covered only alongside skilled nursing or therapy.

Medicare requires a face-to-face visit with a doctor or nurse practitioner, within 90 days before or 30 days after home health starts. Some doctors make house calls. Ask us, and we will help you find one. That doctor is independent of Comfort Care, and the choice is yours.