Home health care. What's happening and what to look for

Home health care services have undergone tremendous growth in recent years thanks to increased need, Medicare reimbursement, improved technology, and preference for care at home rather than in the hospital. Criteria are listed for choosing the best agency for your patients' needs, in terms both of accreditation and certification factors and of specific services provided. Services may include home use of such sophisticated technologies as intravenous chemotherapy, total parenteral nutrition, and peritoneal dialysis; long-term assistance with daily needs for clinically stable patients; and home hospice care. Effectiveness and quality of care at home will be strengthened if you yourself participate in the operation of home health agencies at both advisory and policy-making levels.