Home Health Services

A nurse or therapist does a thorough interview and evaluation during the first visit to your home, to come up with a coordinated and proactive approach to your care. We partner with your medical providers to promote your health. Our team approach eases the move from a hospital or nursing facility to your home. We’ll also actively engage you and your family, or caregivers, in learning how to help you stay healthy.

Your doctor’s orders in your personal care plan determine the services available and the frequency of home healthcare visits. If your condition changes, your doctor may change your care plan.

Certainly, we would be honored to provide services. Federal law gives Medicare patients the freedom to choose their healthcare provider.

You may be able to receive home healthcare if:

• A doctor prescribes home healthcare.
• You need either skilled nursing care on an intermittent basis or therapy services such as physical therapy or speech therapy.
• You are “homebound,” restricted in your ability to leave home, and a doctor must certify your homebound status.

Generally, you’re considered homebound if you have a condition due to an illness or injury that restricts your ability to leave home without another person’s help or the aid of a supportive device, such as a cane or walker. In other words, if leaving home requires considerable and taxing effort or if leaving home is medically inadvisable, you may be considered homebound.

You can still be considered homebound if you leave home as often as you need for medical treatment which cannot be provided at home. Some brief and infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as attending church, getting a haircut, or traveling to occasional family gatherings are also permitted under the definition of homebound.

If your doctor certifies that you need it, and if you meet certain eligibility requirements, Medicare may pay for your home healthcare. Montana’s Medicaid Program or your private insurance also may cover home healthcare, or some services that Medicare doesn’t cover. We coordinate our billing with many sources, including Medicare, Medicaid, managed care insurances, long-term care insurances, and Workers’ Compensation. We also accept private payment for services.

We provide home care to you wherever you call home. It can be your house, an apartment, a relative’s home, a group home, or assisted living. Home healthcare services cannot be provided in a hospital, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or intermediate care facility (ICF).

Home health care provides medical treatment for an illness or injury, to help you recover, regain your independence and become as self-sufficient as possible. Home healthcare can also help you manage a chronic condition, like heart disease, diabetes, pain management or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If your doctor orders it, your care plan may also include some personal care services, like help in bathing or getting dressed.

A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse provides skilled nursing services like tube feedings, catheter changes and wound care. Skilled therapy services include speech therapy to regain language skills; physical therapy to regain movement or strength; or occupational therapy, to regain the ability to do normal daily activities such as eating and dressing.

Non-skilled services from medical social workers and home health aides are allowed only if one of the other skilled services is also seeing the patient. Medical social workers provide assistance with long-range planning (e.g. assistance with completing powers of attorney, applying for Medicaid) and community resources (e.g. Meals on Wheels and other resources through the Council on Aging, paid caregivers, and Assisted Living Facilities). Certified home health aides assist with personal care.

Our goal is to begin providing you with home care services as soon as possible, often within 48 hours.

Hospice care provides care and comfort to those with a terminal illness. Home health care provides medical treatment to help you recover from an illness or injury, or help you live with a chronic condition.

RiverStone Health Home Health Services sets a standard in meeting the challenges of caring for individuals who are recovering from illness or surgery in their home surroundings. We are recognized for our standard of excellence by the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP). In a national comparison, RiverStone Health Home Health Services ranks high in preventing hospitalizations. Studies show that quality home care can significantly reduce expense by preventing repeated trips to the emergency room.