Home Health Care

Home health care agencies provide skilled nursing; nurses’ aides; physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy; and social services to the homebound. Many provide psychiatric nursing services, including medication monitoring, family education in behavior management, and counseling. Some agencies provide “high-tech” nursing home infusion (intravenous nutrition, blood products, rehydration, medications and TPN, and pain management) and, in some cases, ventilators or other types of respiratory therapy. Some also offer specialized cardiac nursing.

Some agencies offer hospice programs for persons who are in late stages of terminal illness. See Hospice programs.

A physician must prescribe services, but the patient has the right to choose the provider. Before choosing an agency be sure it provides services the patient needs. Medicare, TennCare, private insurance, private pay, and some long-term care insurance.

Medicare reports information on the quality of home health care to help consumers in decision-making. Visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-633-4227 for a comparison chart of services. If you have questions or problems with Medicare’s coverage, call Medicare.

When you hire an individual or company to come onto your property or into your home, you assume a certain amount of risk, as does the person hired. See the Action Guide for a list of questions to ask when hiring an in-home service.

Many agencies also provide private-duty nurses, sitters, light housekeeping, and, in some cases, live-in help or 24-hour care (see Live-In Help); these services do not require a physician’s order; most are private pay. Some long-term care insurance covers cost if a medical diagnosis requires the service. Agencies that offer personal care (bathing, hair care, etc.) have an asterisk (*). See also Personal Support Services Agencies.

AbilisHealth: 531-9713

118 Mabry Hood Rd., Suite 100, 37922

Amedisys Home Health Care: 688-7500

1420 Dutch Valley Dr., Suite A, 37918

Clinch River Home Health*: 457-4263

401 Sulphur Springs Road, Clinton, 37716

Covenant HomeCare*: 374-0600

3001 Lake Brook Boulevard, Suite 101, 37909 See sponsor message, page 187.

Encompass Health: 584-4010

1700 Liberty Street, 37921

Intrepid USA Healthcare Services: 450-1160

5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 210, 37919

Kindred At Home: 584-3133

320 North Cedar Bluff Road, Suite 380, 37923

Maxim Healthcare Services: 330-2336

10024 Investment Drive, Suite 130, 37932

NHC Homecare: 539-0242

9000 Executive Park Drive, Suite A-205, 37923

Quality Home Health*: 531-0016

9123 Cross Park Dr., Suite 150, 37923
For Quality private-duty nursing call 247-0339.

Tennova Homecare Services*: 337-7859

1512 Coleman Road, Suite 310, 37909

UT Home Care Services: 544-6200

4435 Valley View Drive, 37917

* Offers personal care services