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My loved one has been on temporary home health care, and we took a couple of brief drives around town just to get them some fresh air and out of the house. Getting out of the house isn't easy for them, but the short experiences were worth it in terms of encouragement. I understand that since Medicare is paying for my loved one's home health care, there are rules about just how much a patient can get out and about while under that care. Did our brief outings fall under the "okay" category, per Medicare? I'd say we were gone for about 30 minutes. We also went to ER and one doctor's appointment.

Google "home care services" at Medicare.gov.

"Homebound" is defined as not being able to get out without great effort or without the help of others.
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Reply to BarbBrooklyn
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ConcernedDtrA Dec 27, 2024
thanks, believe my loved one fits that description. They could conceivably leave the home if no one helped them, but it would likely be dangerous.
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The definition of homebound status has broadened over the years. You were always permitted to go to church or a medical appointment but now the home health staff can document a variety of other reasons, including taxing effort to leave home with specific details, which sounds like your situation. We would draw the line at clients who were out at the casino all
afternoon lol.
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Reply to MidwestOT
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The main thing is for them to be home when they have a scheduled visit from home health. Let HH know in advance if you need to take the elder out on one of those days.

And even though we are very grateful to have home health care, your elder is paying for their Medicare insurance and HHC is a benefit of that policy if needed. It’s a great benefit that members of my family used for years.
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Reply to 97yroldmom
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ConcernedDtrA Dec 29, 2024
thank you. I asked staff about the issue and were told all was well. I'm just going to take that as is. If we get on home health again, I will speak very specifically about what is okay and what isn't. I was told they could go to church, get their hair cut, and even attend special or unique/rare outings, and our brief drives around town were probably under an hour, maybe 30 minutes, and getting in and out took the walker and my presence, so I think we come in under the line, so to speak :)
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My Dad passed in 2006. Mom took him out. No cell phone, so when "in home" called the house they weren't happy that Dad was not there. The Nurse explained that if he could go out visiting he did not need "in home" care. He could do out patient therapy.
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