In order not to hijack the WC thread regarding this issue, I'm starting a new thread.

I feel iike I'm struggling so hard to keep up and may need some home health care in the future.

I live alone. I'm nearly 62. I was always athletic but with CRPS. POTS and many other autoimmune diseases, my life has become very small and getting smaller. I'm housebound and even bed bound more and more. I don't want to keep relying on friends and family.

What do others do in this situation? What are my options? Assume I can pay out of pocket for a while at least.

Thanks for any help

Denise

Denise,

I have been wondering about this information myself for quite some time. Thankfully, I do live with my husband who has been an absolute Godsend through this whole thing. He has been there to do everything that I can not do anymore. If it were not for him, I am not sure if I would be able to make it to any of my doctors appointments myself. I often wonder what I would do if he was not around anymore.

I am sure that there are plenty of others here that will be able to answer this more accurately than I can, but here is what I can tell you from my own experiences. For around the house work, check with your church or local high school to see if they have any volunteer programs that help those who are not able to do the work themselves. When I was in high school, I was a member of the student government that did this every fall and spring. Check with your state's Department of Human Services. Most state programs have a very low liquidable assets limit so it is very difficult to get into these programs unless you are below the poverty line. You mentioned that you are almost 62. When you reach 62 you can qualify for retirement programs but at a reduced rate. I am not sure, but I do believe that you would then qualify for Medicare which will cover in home nursing if your GP feels that it is your only way of receiving proper and necessary medical treatment. There is also SSD and SSI. Others here know so much more about this than I do which is nearly nothing. I do know that once you have been on SSD for 2 years or more, you can qualify for medicaid which I believe will cover in home nursing if it is too difficult for you to make it to your doctor.

I hope this helps a little.

Alaina

There are state programs for in-home care, up to 38 hours a week for the disabled homebound. A caregiver can be paid to assist with housekeeping, cooking, laundry, bathing, errands, etc. The income guidelines are pretty strict. The program is typically called something like"Community Care for the Aged and Disabled" and will be run out each states Department of Human Services. It is possible to self refer for these programs or for a family member to refer, no doc or social worker needed. They send a worker out to the house to assess disability and hours of care needed. The goal is to keep people independent at home as long as possible. Here in Texas, an enrolee can even choose to have a friend or family member be the caregiver and get paid. This works out great for many families who are already doing this and going broke from not working. And the patient feels safe and comfortable.

Medicare will pay for a nurse home visit if a patient is receiving PT, OT or wound care or other special care for feeding tube, infusion, etc. Otherwise visits are pretty limited and will be brief and limited to nursing needs. A home health assistant will be VERY limited under Medicare and is not a long term plan.

The church and community resource tip is a good place to start for anyone above state program income limits. Some cities have an agency on aging and disability that can help with local resources and some even offer in home care at a sliding scale.

Such an important topic! Thanks for bringing this up.

Yes WC should pay for home health provided the patient meet the criteria for home healthcare. However, since WC can be rather difficult to work with they may require more documentation than normal. In order to qualify for home health they must be home bound with the exception of a few trips to things like doctor's appointments, religious services and oddly enough trips to beauty salons. Also the patient must be unable to leave home independently.

Home health also requires you to be receiving some form of therapy, like physical or occupational therapy. Of course nurses and aides are also available.

If you are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid it would be easier to get home health through one of these programs. There are other agencies that can help with things around the house like cooking and cleaning. The majority of these are provided at little to no cost to the patient. Even if you are not a senior citizen I would recommend contacting a senior citizen center because they often time know what is available. Or you can contact a home health agency and their social workers should be able to help you.

Hope this helps!

Also if you (or anyone reading this) are a veteran or the spouse of one I recommend looking into VA benefits. These are some of the most underused benefits out there probably because well known and often involve a lot of red tape. But if you qualify you can get up to 40 hours of aide care per week.


Sorry to go a little off topic but I hate to see our veterans not get the benefits and care they deserve.