Home Health Vs Hospice

Home Health versus Hospice There are a few similarities and differences in the home health and hospice field. Some of the similarities are home health and hospice are covered 100% by Medicare and both of them are care in the patient’s home. Some of the differences are you have to be homebound, you do not have to be homebound, one is curative/restorative care and the other is palliative/comfort care. Home health and hospice are about caring for the patient’s and their families. In home health and hospice, services are covered 100% by Medicare and care is taken place in the patient’s home. Medicare covers medications, supplies, skilled nursing visits, hospice care aides, social workers, and chaplain and bereavement services in hospice. Home
health Medicare coverage consists of supplies for wounds and skilled nursing visits. Also covered is occupational therapy visits, physical therapy visits, home care aide visits, speech therapy visits and social worker visits. The care that a patient requires in home health and hospice both take place in the patient’s home. The patient’s family does not have to worry about going out to get nursing visits or any other kind of visits. At any point if the family feels that they need more supplies they can just call the home health or hospice office to get the staff to bring out more supplies. One of the differences between home health and hospice is one you have to be homebound and the other you do not have to be homebound.
In home health, you must be homebound. In hospice, you do not need to be homebound. Home health deals with a lot of people that have just been released from the hospital and are recovering as hospice does too in some way. Hospice is for people who have a terminal illness and are only expected to live six months or less if disease process takes its normal course. Some patient’s and patient’s families in hospice have volunteers come visit with them. Home health does not have volunteers meet with the patient’s or their families. Home health requires a patient to be home bound meaning it takes extensive effort for one to leave their home. A home health agency does not consider “not” home bound as attending worship services or going to grocery store or pharmacy. In hospice, they notify/advertise for their patient’s to go out and try to live life to the best they can. The other difference between home health and hospice is one is curative/restorative care and the other is palliative/comfort care. Home health is curative/restorative care. Curative/restorative care means that they are going to treat the patient with the intent of restoring a patient to their previous level of functioning. Hospice is palliative/comfort care. Palliative/comfort care focuses on providing comfort to the patient. Hospice works with more of the end of life stage. Home health
works with people who are needing rehabilitation from a specific illnesses or diagnosis. Home health and hospice are similar and different. Medicare coverage is important for both of them. Although hospice you do not have to be homebound your care still happens at home just like in home health. Home health works with curing and rehabilitating someone back to full or partial strength. Hospice works with patients and their families in the end of life stage. Hospice staff try to make the patient as comfortable as possible so they transition to end of life peacefully and with symptom management in place.