 | Pam Crawford is Director of Business Development for Faith Home Health and Hospice LLC; a local/family owned agency providing care for patients throughout all stages of life, wherever they consider their home. Pam graduated from WSU with a BA in social work. Pam has worked in the healthcare industry for 16 years has worked in a variety of clinical settings including home health & hospice, acute hospital, rehab hospital, extended acute care and long term careYou can contact our office at 316-618-6800. |
Senior Living
2006-06-01 08:48:00
Can I choose my in-home services?
Question: Do I have a right to choose any agency for in-home care?
ANSWER: The aging process can create challenges to living independently in your home. However, not knowing there are resources to help you remain independent can be the first challenge. Many people are unaware of what home health, hospice, private duty, and other services can do to help. Once educated on these resources, the responsibility becomes the “right” to choose resources you or your loved one want. These are important choices that you will face when trying to prepare for the kind of health care you deserve. There may be occasions when it seems unclear what to do. So it is critical to empower yourself when making these choices by beginning now to explore all the options you have for in-home services. Your community has many resources. Here are a few tools you can use to explore and compare a wide variety of agencies and services: www.kshomecare.org, www.lifeproject.org, www.cpaaa.com, www.sedgwickcounty.org, www.agingks.org Now that you and your family have educated yourselves regarding resources in your community, let’s discuss your “right” to choose your own in-home services. It is a Medicare regulation that you have the “right” to choose and make all decisions related to your health. This can include the following but is not limited to: home health services, hospice services, medical equipment, private duty services, hospitals, pharmacies, physicians (specialists as well), assisted living and long term care facilities. It is true that if you have private insurance they may specify the agency(ies) you can use based on being a part of their preferred provider network. You may be able to choose outside of that network but you will most likely have a higher out of pocket expense. For the sake of this article, we will focus on Medicare recipients and these recipients do not have any preferred provider restrictions. You can reference the Medicare website for more information on your “right” to make your own health care decisions at www.medicare.gov. You may also make changes to your health care choices at any time. Faith Home Health & Hospice, LLC offers brochures on “How to Choose a Hospice Agency” and “How to Choose a Home Health Agency”.So, do you have the right to choose any agency in home services? The answer is yes! When it comes to making these important choices regarding in-home services and your health care – there are certain points to remember. Your choice is the correct choice. At times you will receive feedback on these choices from physicians, medical professionals, your family and friends. It is important to note that no matter what experiences others have had or who they may be affiliated with, the final choice is always yours. Once you have made your decision, there is no reason for anyone to question your decision. That is why you must know what is available to you in your community and how it serves you best. An informed health care consumer is a much happier client.
