“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
—Xunzi, Chinese Philosopher
Merriam-Webster defines therapy as “therapeutic medical treatment of impairment, injury, disease, or disorder.” But what does therapy look like in a home health setting? First, it is important to understand what home health care is.
According to Medicare, “Home health care is a wide range of health care services that can be given in your home for an illness or injury. Home health care is usually less expensive, more convenient, and just as effective as care you get in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF).”
Home health care skilled professionals coordinate with doctors and providers to create a personalized plan that suits individuals where they are most comfortable—at home.
Some of the therapy treatments that once needed to take place away from home—occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy—are now available at home, leading to better patient experiences.
Quality home health care from the comfort of home.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy (OT) is a resource available to those who need extra assistance in completing daily activities, learning adaptations, and tools to overcome physical challenges like buttoning clothing or navigating a kitchen. An occupational therapist’s primary objective is to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to reach their goals.
In a home health setting, occupational therapists join the patient in their home and provide hands-on, individualized, and custom interventions that aid in the ability to do—and succeed in—daily activities. The individualized and custom interventions ultimately allow the individual to remain in their home, safely.
Nicole Paddock—an occupational therapist for the Constellation home health team in Maine and New Hampshire—noted how the OT team works together to help their patients succeed.
“We do a good job of identifying what the goal—or group of goals are—and how we can work together to meet that goal collectively,” she said.
Physical Therapy
According to The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), physical therapists (PT) are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.
Physical therapy is a great resource for those looking to manage pain, recover from a stroke or paralysis, and improve mobility, movement, and balance. Home health physical therapists can work with individuals in their homes, providing exercises that help them function comfortably and effectively—ultimately mitigating dangerous fall risks that keep them at home and out of the hospital.
“I enjoy the hands-on care, helping people make their lives better,” explained Lauren Ceisler, Director of Home Care in Connecticut who has been with Constellation for over 10 years. “It could be the littlest thing, helping the patient go up three steps or getting into the bathroom by themselves. That little piece of quality of life makes such a huge difference in their world. It’s unbelievable.”
Speech-Language Therapy
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, and cognitive-communication skills, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Speech-language pathologists also treat swallowing disorders in children and adults.
Communicating effectively, regardless of age, is a necessary human skill. Specifically, the senior population cannot navigate out of dangerous situations without the ability to communicate needs or problems.
Due to the natural aging process, seniors often benefit from speech-language therapy. Those recovering from a head injury, stroke, dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease benefit immensely from working with a SLP. Art therapy and visual speech perception are two examples of many that SLP can use with patients while in the comfort of their home.
Occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy are essential to the home health program at Constellation. The Constellation team believes in providing quality home health care from the comfort of one’s home, and the OTs, PTs, and SLPs who are a part of the home health team make that possible.
“We always strive to have our patients feel valued, trusted, and heard because it’s their life. They have the right to live how they want to. Our job is to make it as safe and successful as possible.”
—Lauren Ceisler, Director of Home Health CT
If you or your loved one are interested in learning more about Constellation and the other services we provide, go here. More information regarding home health services at Constellation can be found here.
Related Resources:
- 10 Ways to Get the Most from Home Health Care
- Aging in Place: How to Stay Safe at Home
- In-Home Assistance: Partners in Care
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Constellation is a family-owned, family-centered organization serving the Northeast. We have remained true to our commitment to providing the best patient experience and the highest quality outcomes. We believe this is accomplished by ensuring that everyone we connect with feels valued, trusted, and heard. Learn more about our approach to home health care and contact us today.
