The Long Term Home Health Care Program is a coordinated plan of medical, nursing, and rehabilitative care provided at home to persons with disabilities who are medically eligible for placement in a nursing home. This program offers patients an alternative to institutionalization.
This program is available to individuals who are medically eligible for placement in a nursing home and choose to receive services at home. An assessment to determine nursing home eligibility is performed by a registered nurse who uses an approved assessment form which identifies the individual's medical diagnoses and their level of independence in performing the activities of daily living such as bathing, eating, walking, and toileting. These individuals must have care costs which are less than the nursing home cost in the county.
Individuals can access this program through a hospital discharge planner, the local Department of Social Services (LDSS), or a Long Term Home Health Care Provider. The county determines eligibility for the program, and the LDSS authorizes all services that are provided.
All regular Medicaid Services are provided and the following may be eligible:
- Case Management by RNs
- Home delivered or congregate meals
- Housing improvements and moving assistance
- Respiratory Therapy
- Medical social service, nutrition and dietary services
- Respite care, social day care, and social transportation
The LDSS is responsible for participating in the periodic reassessment of the services provided. The providers are responsible for obtaining physician orders and administering the assessment tools. The NYS Department of Health periodically surveys the providers to determine the quality and scope of the medical, nursing and rehabilitative care they deliver.
The NYS Department of Health is responsible for monitoring the care provided by long term home health care programs. Complaints, questions or concerns about the long term home health care program should be directed to the Home Health Hotline (800-628-5972).
Serving Both Long and Short-Term Patients
Serving both long and short-term patients means a Long Term Home Health Program that is providing services to patients who would otherwise be treated in a nursing home or institution as well as traditional home care patients. Because traditional home care patients are different than those enrolled in the Long Term Home Health Care Program, the quality measures reported for programs serving both long and short-term patients may not be directly comparable to other agencies and/or programs and may not reflect the actual quality of care and services.