What is skilled nursing home care?
Skilled nursing home care - sometimes called home health nursing - provides medically necessary clinical services delivered by a licensed registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) in a patient's own home. It is distinct from non-medical home care (personal care aides helping with bathing and meals) because it requires the clinical judgment and licensure of a trained nurse.
At New Dimensions Caregivers, our skilled nursing services in Pasadena, TX are appropriate for patients recovering from surgery, managing complex chronic conditions, or requiring ongoing clinical treatments that would otherwise require frequent hospital or clinic visits.
Does Medicare cover skilled nursing home visits in Texas?
Medicare Parts A and B may cover skilled nursing home visits when all of the following criteria are met: the patient is homebound (meaning leaving the home requires considerable effort), the care is medically necessary and ordered by a physician, and services are provided by a Medicare-certified agency. Coverage is for intermittent skilled nursing visits - not around-the-clock care.
What Medicare typically covers for home health:
- Skilled nursing visits ordered by a physician
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- Medical social services
- Home health aide services when combined with skilled services
- Certain durable medical equipment (80% of approved cost)
Medicaid's STAR+PLUS waiver in Texas may also cover some home health services for qualifying low-income patients. Contact us at (281) 201-5872 and we'll help review your coverage before committing to any plan.
Post-discharge nursing care near HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast
The period immediately following hospital discharge is one of the highest-risk times for seniors and post-surgical patients. Research consistently shows that patients who receive skilled nursing visits in the first days after discharge experience significantly fewer complications and re-hospitalizations.
Our team is experienced in rapid post-discharge care coordination for patients leaving HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, St. John Hospital, CHI St. Luke's Health, and other area facilities. We can often begin nursing visits within 24 hours of discharge, working directly with your hospital's discharge planning team to ensure no gaps in clinical care.
Combining skilled nursing with personal care
Many patients need both clinical nursing care and personal care support - for example, a patient recovering from hip replacement surgery may need a nurse to manage wound care and monitor for complications, while also needing a caregiver to help with bathing, dressing, and meal preparation.
New Dimensions Caregivers provides both services, and they can be combined into a single coordinated care plan. This avoids the confusion of managing two separate agencies and ensures your nurses and caregivers are working from the same plan and communicating with each other. Talk to us about combining services during your free consultation.