Physical Therapy

The deck is too often stacked against home care for many benefits to a patient. The 'system' basically does not trust the home caregiver. An institution is trusted because it can be regulated.

 

Physical therapy is an excellent example. Through years of homecare armed with the best of private insurance and Medicare we could never manage more than a dozen home visit sessions and that was ONLY following hospitalization.

 

I could only shake my head as I reviewed a recent Medicare Summary Notice  “paid in full” for 43 physical therapy sessions between just October 5th and October 31st. I am glad Patti could get the help. However it is soooo frustrating that she was denied the same help at home simply because she was ‘at home.’ Same disease, same diagnosis, same prognosis, same doctors, same insurance, only difference is that she is in a care facility and not at home. 

 

And it is not just “running up the bill”.  Over half the sessions involve restorative eating therapy and unquestionably Patti is demonstrating positive results. The remaining sessions involve her adapting to recent progression and learning new ways to help others to help her transfer.

 

There are many aspects involved in the transition from homecare to a care facility. Increased options to the patient as in this example is a factor that cannot be ignored.