How Do I Know If I Can Receive Occupational Therapy at Home?

Sometimes serious illness or injury leaves a person without ability for self-care, and they may need help at home. 

At home, patients remain safe in familiar surroundings with the knowledge and ability to manage their conditions, medications and symptoms. Another benefit of receiving care in the home is that family members and caregivers can be more readily available and can be more involved.

Occupational therapy can help you to overcome challenges you might face as you recover. It  is designed to help you make small adjustments to regain the ability to complete activities you do on a daily basis and improve your quality of life.

Whether you are heading home from a hospital or a skilled nursing facility, or you have experienced a recent decline from your condition, you only need to meet a few guidelines to receive Medicare home health services. You must:

• Need skilled nursing care (not custodial services or personal care assistance)
• Be under the care of a physician who has established a home health plan of care (POC) for you
• Have had a face-to-face meeting regarding your primary diagnosis for home health with a physician or an allowed non-physician practitioner (NPP) in the past 90 days
• Not be able to leave home on your own without assistance or have a condition that makes leaving home medically unsafe.