Home health care allows eligible patients who are recovering from injuries, illness or chronic conditions to remain where they feel most comfortable – at home. This can be especially beneficial for older adults. 1
While home health can be an ideal way to bring some medical care home, there are also several other benefits of home health care that may not be as obvious but can have a lasting impact on quality of life and long-term health outcomes. Let’s take a closer look at 10 helpful benefits of home health.
1. Greater Independence
Older adults may be hesitant to ask for help because they fear losing independence. One of the primary benefits of home health care is that it supports independence by helping older adults continue doing everyday tasks like walking, bathing, dressing and preparing meals (also known as activities of daily living or ADLs).
These tasks may be supported by physical and occupational therapists as well as home health aides. Physical and occupational therapists work with patients to build safe routines and adaptive strategies. This support allows individuals to stay active and live independently for as long as possible.
2. Safety, Comfort and Convenience
Research shows that older adults recover faster, with fewer complications, at home than in a hospital setting. 2 Being in a familiar setting also promotes emotional comfort and helps maintain normal routines. There are several ways home health care helps improve safety and health outcomes:
Medication Management at Home
Home health nurses review medications, educate patients, and ensure safe dosages— helping prevent harmful drug interactions or missed medications.
Fall Prevention
Physical and/or occupational therapists assess the home environment and make recommendations to reduce fall risks.
Improved Activities of Daily Living
Studies show that up to 90% of patients improve their ability to perform activities of daily living within 60 days of receiving home health services. 3
3. Relief for Family Caregivers
Family caregivers often juggle many responsibilities. Home health aides can assist with bathing, dressing and other daily tasks, relieving some of the burden on family caregivers. The home health team, including medical social workers, also educate family members about how to provide follow-up care and connect them with helpful resources. This type of support provides peace of mind and protects against caregiver burnout.
4. Preventing Avoidable Trips to the Hospital
With regular monitoring and education, home health care helps patients manage health conditions and helps prevent avoidable emergency room visits. Patients also have 24/7 access to a professional they can call if they’re having troublesome symptoms and aren’t sure what to do. These positive impacts can even extend beyond the home health care episode— for example, a study of heart failure patients showed that patients receiving home health care had fewer hospital visits and reduced mortality for up to six months after hospital discharge. 4
5. Cost Savings
Avoiding hospital stays and delaying or preventing nursing home placement results in significant cost savings. Home health services are typically covered by Medicare as well as Medicare Advantage payors and private insurance for eligible patients. 5
6. High Quality Care
An important benefit of home health care is that it is grounded in evidence-based practices and standards of care to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time. Quality scores are available on Care Compare to help families evaluate providers.
7. Personalized Care
Patients receive one-on-one attention and a care plan tailored to their specific needs. This personalized approach builds trust and helps improve outcomes for both patients and caregivers.
8. Skilled Team of Professionals
Nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers and aides make up the home health care team, all under physician oversight. Each team member is carefully screened and trained. Patients can receive comprehensive care at home without having to go to a doctor’s office, rehabilitation facility or hospital.
9. Wide Range of Services
Home health care includes a wide range of services. From skilled nursing and therapy to wound care and medication management, patients can receive a wide variety of treatments at home.
10. Companionship
Home health has been shown to help combat loneliness and isolation in seniors. 6 In addition to receiving visits from the home health care team, it’s easier for friends and relatives to visit an elderly loved one in their home than in the hospital or at a facility. With no time restrictions or set visiting hours, patients get more social interaction. This reduces loneliness and brings families together. At the same time, the home health team can help identify risk factors for loneliness and offer resources to help address it.
Learn more about the benefits of home health care. Call the Amedisys home health center near you.
TeRonna Hall, BSN, RN, CCP, serves as a Clinical Content Development Specialist at Amedisys. With 36 years of healthcare experience, including 34 years in home health, she is dedicated to educating others on health-related topics.
