Question Categories on this page -
Q How are patients referred to Home Health, Hospice and At Home Care?
A The physician, social worker or Discharge Planner in a Medical Facility typically refer patients. However, family, friends, clergy or other can also make referrals.
Q You have a patient who lives alone and has been falling and seems a little confused. Can Assured Home Health help her?
A To meet the criteria for Home Health services, your mother must be home-bound. Contact our intake department with initial orders for the patient. A nurse could evaluate her vital signs, lung sounds, medication usage, safety in home and report back to you with suggested follow-up plans. There is no charge for this service.
Q What do you mean by "home-bound"?
A Home bound status means that it is a taxing effort for a person to leave the home. In many cases the patient only leaves the home for MD appointments.
Q Who pays for home health services?
A Home health services are benefits under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Many insurance companies offer the home health benefit also.
Q How do I find out if my patient is covered for home health services?
A Our professional intake department will make the necessary calls to the patient’s insurance company and will discover the amount of home health coverage available.
Q What services does home health offer?
A Registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, medical social workers, and home health aides. All professional services work under your direction and require orders from you to provide a service.
Q What kind of training does your staff have?
A All staff have current licenses specific to their discipline. The staff also attends to their on-going education necessary to maintain a current license. Our agency also provides the staff with in-services all year long, which are specific to the needs of the home health industry.
Q What are the goals for home health services?
A The primary goal is to help the patient maintain or become independent in the home. Home health services help the patient with activities of daily living, home safety, strengthening exercises, education of the patient and family; as well as medication management and rehabilitation as needed. All services are under your direction, and when independence is gained, home health services are discontinued.
Q Are your employees insured and bonded?
A All employees are screened and background checked from former employers and through the Washington State Patrol.
Q How often do you bill for services?
A Billing is done on a weekly basis.
Q Am clients responsible for paying any employee taxes or benefits?
A No. Assured At Home bills a fixed rate for the type of service requested and will pay all employee taxes and benefits as required by law. This frees the client from the additional worry and potential legal problems.
Q Do you accept credit card payment?
A Yes. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards are all accepted.
Q Will Assured verify insurance coverage prior to starting service?
A Yes. Assured is very comfortable in dealing with insurance companies. We can check coverages.
Q What different services do you offer?
A Assured At Home has a number of services designed to meet your specific needs. We are proud to offer Live-In Attendants, Sleep-Over Attendants, Home Makers, Companions and Personal Care Attendants. The Bath Visit program is available upon request. Services can start for as little as 2 hours for a bath visit.
Q How long are clients tied into this contract?
A Assured At Home is here to meet the individual’s needs, and as needs change, so does service. Therefore, we do not enter into contracts with our clients, but simply have a financial agreement stating our rates, terms and conditions for payment.
Q What if I need to speak to someone in the office after business hours?
A Assured At Home business office staff are available to help deal with your inquiries and problems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When the office is closed, there is a duty on-call person available to help you.
Q What level of training does your staff have?
A Each case is assessed individually and a Plan of Care developed before starting service. From that Plan of Care, the Staffing Coordinator will assign the person with the right level of skills and experience for each case.
Q Who Pays for Hospice Care?
A Medicare and Medicaid offer full Hospice benefits as part of their health care coverage. Under these programs, there are no out-of-pocket expenses for the services provided under the hospice plan of care. Many private insurance plans and managed care programs also include a Hospice Benefit. The Intake Coordinator will verify coverage prior to admission.
Q How Can I Refer a Patient to Hospice?
A While the physician, social worker or discharge planner in a medical facility typically refer patients to hospice, this is not a requirement. Family members, friends, clergy and others may contact hospice directly.
Early referrals to hospice are more beneficial than last minute referrals. It takes time for the patient and family to get to know the members of the hospice team and develop a strong, helpful relationship.
Many questions arise when families and their loved one decide to consider hospice. Always feel free to call Assured Hospice to address these concerns with a knowledgeable hospice professional.
Q How are Patients Admitted to the Program?
A Call Assured Hospice and speak with an Intake Coordinator. The information that is necessary for starting the evaluation and admission process can be collected during the initial phone call. Or click here to use the web-based form right here on the site. Admission can normally be accomplished with in 24 hours of referral.
The Hospice Medical Director may discuss your patient’s referral with you. In addition, a hospice nurse and medical social worker will visit the patient and family to fully explain what hospice care is, answer questions, and to determine if hospice care is appropriate to meet the medical and essential needs of the family and loved one. If the physician, patient and family agree that hospice care is right for them, admission to the program will take place at that time.