Both hospice and home health care in New Jersey are meant to reduce hospitalisation and allow patients to remain in the comfort of their own homes. While they sound quite similar, knowing the difference can ensure that you get the best services for your situation.
Differences Between Home Health Care and Hospice in New Jersey
It’s important to understand that, in terms of similarities, home health care and hospice are both covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance. They also offer skilled medical care to provide a good quality of life.
They each approach healthcare differently, though, to best address the needs of the patient.
What is Home Health Care?
Home health care is focused only on the patient, treating them directly in their home to handle any illness or injury. This means caring for them and helping them manage their daily lives while they recover. Home health care also revolves around helping them with treatments like physical, speech, or occupational therapy.
Generally, home health care will be ordered by the patient’s doctor after a discharge from the hospital or if they have some form of illness or injury that requires assistance. Once the patient is assessed, they will work with various professionals to recover.
For example, the patient might interact with nurses, therapists, social workers, and home health aides all from their home, with the point being for them to soon be able to recover.
What to Expect
You can continue to receive home health care for as long as you need, depending on your plans and goals. This type of care is all about recovery from any illness or injury, but do keep in mind that you might be required to pay for medications, supplies, and equipment associated with this, and you will not have access to psychological support.
What is Hospice?
By contrast, hospice is meant to be for people who are not expected to live longer than six months. It focuses on the quality of life and the comfort level of the patient, providing them with medical supplies, medication, and any personal care services they might need.
Additionally, hospice is meant to support both the patient and the family through this challenging time, not just the patient alone. So there’s more support here, and the patient will still receive access to various care professionals like nurses, aides, and counsellors who will help them manage their pain.
Even family members will be able to speak to grief counsellors when their loved one is in hospice care. Hospice will also follow the family for a year to help guide them through grief as well.
What to Expect
When starting hospice care, it will take place wherever the patient calls home. This can be a private home, nursing home, assisted living facility, or residential care facility. Your loved one will receive daily, continuous care, so there will always be someone with them.
Commonly, this will involve delivering medications, equipment, and even constant access via telephone to hospice experts. Should you have any questions, you only need to call.
Conclusion
If you are looking for the right care for yourself or a loved one in New Jersey, you might be wondering what the difference is between home health care and hospice. They both involve working with professionals at home, but their outcomes differ, so check which can best benefit you and your situation.
