Home health care is a service to recovering, disabled, or chronically ill people who need medical treatment and/or assistance with the activities of daily living. Generally, home care is appropriate when a person requires care, and family and friends cannot easily or effectively provide it on their own. The National Association for Home Care estimates that more than 8 million Americans currently receive home care for both acute and long-term needs. This figure increases every day as greater numbers of people are able to leave institutions, thanks to advancing technology, and avoid ever having to enter them. State-of-the-art medical equipment for use in the home now can provide treatments and services that once were available only in the hospital. Home health care can include many services, such as nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, help with personal care and much more. Medicare may pay for some of these services if you're covered by Medicare and your physician prescribes them.

Because it may be the best type of care for you or your loved one. Some of the advantages are:

• Privacy - It allows you to receive health care in the privacy of your own home
• Personal - You are able to receive individualized attention and education from your clinician
• Convenience - There are no transportation problems, less disruption of schedules
• Comfort - There's no place like home!
• Shorter hospital stays - If you arrange for home health care services, your physician may be more likely to discharge you sooner from the hospital
• Shorter recovery time - In general, people recover more quickly at home
• Lower cost - Often much lower than care in a hospital or long term care facility

All of us cherish our independence and the warmth of our own homes. Present technology allows many health care services to be offered at home, providing these benefits and more to our patients.