Recovering From A Serious Illness Or Injury: The Pros And Cons Of Home Healthcare

4 March 2015
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If you recently suffered a serious illness or injury, the use of home healthcare services could allow you to recover at home rather than spending an extended period of time in the hospital. However, while many individuals will benefit greatly from the use of these services, home healthcare services will not be right for everyone. Taking the time to review the pros and cons associated with this option will allow you to determine for yourself whether or not these services are right for you.

The Pros

There are several benefits that come along with using home healthcare services when recovering from a serious illness or injury. These benefits include:

  1. Recover Faster - While there is no guarantee, many patients recover faster when allowed to do so in the comfort of their own home rather than remaining in the hospital.
  2. Receive Assistance With Daily Tasks - Home healthcare services will allow you to receive assistance with many daily tasks which may prove difficult immediately after returning home from an extended hospital stay. For instance, these services will typically offer assistance with bathing, dressing, and standing. If you suffer from mobility issues, your home care aide can also help you to move from one location within the house to another.
  3. Enjoy More Freedom - Home healthcare services can be offered for a few hours a week or around the clock. By providing you only with the level of care that you require, these services will allow you to enjoy a great deal more freedom than you would have in a hospital or assisted living facility.

The Cons

There are also a few disadvantages that come along with choosing to use home healthcare services rather than remaining in the hospital during your recovery. These disadvantages include:

  1. Housebound Requirement - In order to qualify for home healthcare services, some insurance companies will require you to be housebound. This means that if you are physically capable of going out of the house to get the daily services that you require, you may not be eligible to receive in-home care under your current medical coverage.
  2. Out-Of-Pocket Expenses - Even if your medical insurance covers the cost of home healthcare, you may still be required to pay a co-pay for each of the services that are provided. For instance, you may need to pay a co-payment for any medications you receive, while paying a separate co-payment for any medical equipment you require. These co-payments can easily add up and will likely exceed the co-payment you will be required to pay when being admitted to the hospital.

The Bottom Line

The decision to remain in the hospital or make use of home healthcare services is a decision that should be made between you and your physician. This is because a great deal of the benefits that home healthcare services have to offer will depend upon the level of care that you require. To learn more about these services and the pros and cons that come along with them, be sure to talk to both your doctor and a qualified home healthcare agency, like All Stat Home Health, in your local area.