General Service Information
It provides skilled medical services—such as nursing, physical therapy, and wound care—delivered in a patient’s residence to help them recover from illness or injury.
No. Home health care involves skilled clinical treatment (nursing, therapy) ordered by a doctor, whereas home care (or personal care) usually focuses on daily living activities like bathing, meal prep, and companionship.
This status typically means a patient cannot safely leave home without help from others or assistive devices, and doing so requires “considerable and taxing effort”.
The duration is determined by a doctor based on the patient’s specific health status and recovery progress.
Eligibility and Costs
Generally, those who are under a doctor’s care, need intermittent skilled nursing or therapy, and meet the “homebound” criteria.
For eligible patients, Medicare often covers 100% of the cost of skilled services. Other options include Medicaid, private insurance, or Veterans’ benefits.
No. While many patients are referred after a hospital discharge, hospitalization is not a strict requirement; a doctor can refer a patient directly from their home.
Understanding Quality Ratings
Medicare provides standardized data to help you compare the performance of different agencies objectively.
A rating of 3 or 3.5 stars is considered the national average, meaning the agency provides good quality care.
CMS publishes a Quality of Patient Care Rating (based on clinical outcomes like improved mobility) and a Patient Survey Rating (based on patient experiences and communication)
They are derived from clinical data (OASIS assessments) and Medicare claims, tracking factors like how often patients had to be admitted to the hospital.
You can compare local agencies in Keller or any other zip code using the official Medicare Care Compare tool.