Frequently Asked Questions

---

Home health care (/services/home-health-care/) provides skilled services for an illness or injury, wherever you call home. Our goal is to help you recover, regain your independence and become as self-sufficient as possible. More than just providing excellent care in your home, home health care also saves billions of dollars each year in providing these services outside of expensive facilities. Express Home Health Care offers health care services such as skilled nursing, home health aides, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, and nutrition services. We also offer specialized clinical programs that focus on empowering you to manage your own illness and improving your quality of life. 

People facing a serious disease may receive palliative care after obtaining a physician’s referral and order. Heart disease, cancer, respiratory illness, Alzheimer’s/dementia, renal disease, chronic liver disease and diabetes are some commonly treated conditions. According to the World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news- room/fact-sheets/detail/palliative-care), pain and difficulty breathing are the two most frequent and serious symptoms that palliative care addresses. 

Nurse practitioners provide an initial consultation and follow-up visits to address the patient’s pain and symptoms. The nurse practitioner works in collaboration with our social workers and medical director, as well as your healthcare providers. 

You can receive palliative care as long as services are medically necessary. That may mean until you enter hospice care (/services/hospice-care/) or until you feel better and no longer need palliative services. 

 You will need a referral from your physician (often a primary care provider) and a doctor’s order.

Many people ask “Does Medicare pay for palliative care?” Palliative care services are typically covered by Medicare and some insurance plans. To learn more about the cost of palliative care, reach out to an Express Home Care center near you.

On the first visit, a nurse or therapist will conduct an initial assessment. This assessment identifies areas where you and your family/caregivers may benefit from education in self-care and disease prevention. We also provide hands-on care. 

You’ll receive the services you need based on an individual plan of care developed by your doctor with our clinical team. Some of the home health care services we offer include: 

• Skilled nursing care 
• Home health aides 
• Physical therapy 
• Occupational therapy 
• Speech therapy
• Medical social work
• Pain management 
• Medication management 
• Wound care
• Infusion therapy 
• Psychiatric services 

The Initial Assessment – A palliative nurse practitioner will conduct a pain and symptom assessment, check vital signs, discuss care needs and create a plan of care. 

Follow-Up Visits – In subsequent visits, the nurse practitioner will help monitor and manage pain and other symptoms, and work with a social worker to help with planning and emotional support. Your follow-up visits may last between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours, depending on your needs. Typically, you will receive 1-2 visits per month and on an as-needed basis. 

Coordination of Care – The palliative team (/services/palliative-care/care-team/) will collaborate with your other healthcare providers to help ensure you receive coordinated care and safe, seamless transitions of care as needed. 

You may be eligible to receive home health care under the Medicare benefit if: 

• Your doctor prescribes home health care for you. 
• You need either skilled nursing care or therapy (physical/occupational/speech therapy) on an intermittent basis. 
• Your condition limits your ability to leave home, rendering you “homebound.” 

 A nurse or therapist will contact you by phone to schedule the first visit. If you’re coming from a hospital or nursing facility, the initial visit will usually happen within 24 hours after you’re discharged to make the transition easier. 

 Medicare pays 100% of the cost of home health care services for eligible patients. Your state’s Medicaid program or your private insurance may also cover home health care. 

Your doctor will determine the number of visits you receive, how often the visits should occur and how long they should last, based on your needs and health status.