How can I get home health care for a family member when he/she is discharged from a hospital or nursing home?

Hospitals have "discharge planning" units to assist family members in making arrangements for needed services, such as home health care.  A member of the hospital's discharge planning unit will discuss needs and service options with you before the patient is sent home and will answer any questions that you may have. If your family member is a Medicare beneficiary, be sure to ask about Medicare coverage for home health services following discharge.

If your family member is being discharged from a nursing home, you can talk with the staff social worker to get help in arranging for home health care or other needed services.

If your family member is already at home, you can find a list of home health agencies in the yellow pages of the phone book. 

Please contact the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities if you have questions or if you want to find out about eligibility for publically-funded home care services.