When you face a health issue that needs professional attention but doesn’t require the ‘round-the-clock services offered by a hospital or nursing home stay, St. Luke’s Home Health and Hospice can provide a less costly alternative.

St. Luke’s provides medically required services in a home-based setting and should not be confused with agencies that offer housekeeping, companionship, or custodial care.

“Our care is provided by trained and licensed medical professionals, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and home health aides,” says Lisa Giovanni, President of St. Luke’s Home Health and Hospice. “The biggest difference between in-home and hospital care is that home health nurses enable patients to take a more active role in their treatment plans, in the comfort of their own homes.”

Home health, which is covered by most commercial insurance plans, is ordered by a physician, typically after discharge from a hospital or a skilled nursing/acute rehab facility. It’s intended for short-term situations, such as a course of IV medications, or providing wound care.

But there’s a strong education component as well. “Because our ultimate goal is to get our patients independent and in control of their own health care, we teach them or their families to administer their own treatments or to be alert to possible complications that might develop between visits,” Giovanni says.

Medically directed in-home care focuses on attaining individual goals, and that’s why the in-home team can include occupational or physical therapists, to improve strength and mobility; or social workers to help navigate insurance coverage and other concerns. And as a patient improves, home health aides may assist with regaining the ability to perform day-to-day chores, such as meal preparation or bathing. While scheduled visits are the norm, the team is available around the clock to deal with unforeseen events. “It really is a team approach,” Giovanni says.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOME HEALTH CARE, VISIT SLUHN.ORG/VNA/HOME-HEALTH