How home health works

Home health is skilled care delivered at home — nursing or therapy, not housekeeping.

What agencies provide

Medicare-certified agencies provide skilled nursing (wound care, injections, medication management, education), physical, occupational and speech therapy, medical social services and home-health aide support for personal care. The plan of care is written by a doctor and reviewed regularly.

Medicare eligibility

Medicare covers home health when a doctor certifies that you need skilled care intermittently, you are homebound (leaving home requires considerable effort or assistance), and the agency is Medicare-certified. Original Medicare pays 100% of covered home-health services; it does not cover 24-hour care or mostly custodial care.

Choosing an agency

Compare CMS star ratings and individual measures — especially improvement in walking and bathing, timely initiation of care, and discharge to the community — then ask about staffing continuity, after-hours availability and how the agency communicates with family.