Home Services
There's no place like home. This is particularly true for patients who don't require the acute care of a hospital, but do need assistance in recovering from an illness or injury, or dealing with a terminal disease. Home Services, a division of Schneck Medical Center, provides the best of both worlds by bringing professional health care into the home.For more information about Home Services, call 812.522.0460 or e-mail us.
Lifeline Personal Response System (PRS)
The personal response system is like insurance. It gives you the confidence and freedom to live on your own. Even when you have the support of family and friends, PRS is there between their visits and calls. It is added piece of mind for you and your loved ones. If you fall or become ill, PRS will be there to send the help you need.
For more than twenty-five years, Lifeline has been North America's leading personal response company. If you need help, Lifeline is only a push button away. It's simple. When you need help, just press the waterproof Personal Help Button you wear as a pendant or wristband. The Personal Help Button activates a small in-home communicator that automatically dials the Lifeline Response Center. Within seconds, a caring, highly-trained professional will answer your call. Whatever you need, Lifeline will respond quickly and get you the help you need.
Lifeline is:
- There for you when others can’t be; 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Easy to use; help is just a push button away.
- Enables you to live independently in your own home.
- Can provide peace of mind to you and your family.
From those we've served:
"I wish I would have had Lifeline several years ago. I fell while working alone in my yard and broke my ankle. I was helpless and unable to move until someone found me. Thanks to Lifeline I feel much safer now."
"Help is as close as my Lifeline button. I can stay on my own knowing help is available if I need it."For more information about Lifeline, click HERE, or call 812.53-0671 or 800.543.3546.
Home Health Care - [back to top]
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 812.522.0460 After hours on call available 24 hours a day. Home Health Care is devoted to bringing professional health services right into your home; where you feel most comfortable. We offer 24 hours a day, 365 days per year nursing support. Also physical, speech, occupational therapies, home health aides, dietetic/nutritional, and medical/social services to those recuperating from illness or learning to cope with chronic disease and disability. Home Care programs are certified by Medicare and the State Board of Health and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Services include an eight county area including:
- Bartholomew
- Brown
- Jackson
- Jennings
- Lawrence
- Monroe
- Scott
- Washington
Nursing
Skilled nursing staff provides care under the direction of a physician and may include, but is not limited to:
- Total parenteral/enteral nutrition
- Pain management
- Chemotherapy
- Diabetic instruction
- Infant instruction
- Catheter changes
- Injections
- Tube feedings
- Care of ventilator patients
- Ostomy care and wound care
- Dressing changes
- Blood drawing for lab tests
- Post surgery care
- Care of bed-bound or terminally ill
- Medication education
Physical therapists provide exercise programs including therapeutic exercise programs, instruction on transfer techniques and gait training, instructionon the use of wheelchairs, walkers, artificial limbs, or other special equipment.
Speech Therapy
Professional speech pathologists focus on problems related to speech,memory, and communication skills and may include redevelopment of memory retention, relearning writing and reading skills, swallow function, and oral/facialstrengthening exercises.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapist functions include instruction on the use of upper extremities (elbows to fingers), assistance in activitiesof daily living, and the use of special adaptive equipment.
Nutritional/Dietetic Services
A registered dietician will provide nutritional screening on instruction for a patient’s diet. The professional dietitians are also trained in dietary supplements as needed.
Home Health Aides
Home Health Aides provide personal care assistance under a registered nurse’s supervision. Services include bathing, dressing, mouth/teeth hygiene, meal preparation, some light housekeeping, and assistance with exercise programs as prescribed.
Medical/Social Service Assistance
Services provided by Medical Social Worker help with personal, family, work, financial, and other problems that accompany major illness or disability. They may include social and emergency assessments, long-range placement, and community resource linking. Referrals are accepted seven days a week. They may be made by calling 812.522.0460, asking your physician, or inquiring while a patient in the hospital. Payment of Home Health Care services may be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, VA, or private insurance programs. Individuals may also pay for services not covered by insurance. Our staff can assist in answering your specific questions about reimbursement.
Private Duty Services - [back to top]
Schneck Medical Center’s Private Duty Services provides private duty care to support and maintain the patient and/or family at his/her current level of function. The object for patient care is based on daily care needs to keep the patient in the home environment and to support the family.
Anyone in the community can make a private duty referral by contacting the Private Duty Services at 812.522.0460. They may include:
- The person wishing to receive care
- Family members
- Caregivers
- Aging & Community Services
- Social Services
A free evaluation can be done to determine a need for services.
An estimate for cost of services is provided and the patient and/or family can choose the services they feel would be most beneficial and cost effectivefor them. Choices include:
- Private pay
- State supported programs such as Medicaid, Choice, and Med Waiver
- Insurance
Private Duty Services Available:
- Highly skilled nurses
- Ventilator Care
- Infusion Therapy
- High tech, multifaceted care needs
- Home Health Aides
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming/personal needs
- Assist with ambulation/position change
- Assist with passive range of motion
- Homemakers
- Meal preparation
- General household cleaning
- Shopping & errands
- Companionship
- Medication reminders
- Rehabilitation Services
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Respite Care
- Meet patient and family needs
There are no physical requirements or criteria for the patient to receive private duty services. Services provided will be within the scope of our practice.
Most commonly asked questions about Private Duty:
How do I know if I need Private Duty care?
You may need a home health aide or homemaker if you:
- need assistance with bathing
- you are unable to perform your own homemaker duties
- you are unable to prepare your own meals
- you are unable to shop
- you have a memory deficit
- are unable to give your own insulin shots for diabetes
- need assistance with a non-healing wound
- are ventilator dependent
- have tube feedings such as PEG feedings
- catheter care
- infusion oversight
Can I receive services for my elderly, sick, or dependent family member?
If you are a family member to anyone with any of the above needs, call to seeif we can assist you with these needs.
It is based on need. That may be anywhere from one day to several months.
Can I discontinue services at any time?
Yes
Who plans my care or the care of my family member?
It is planned through case conferences involving the nurse, patient,family, therapists, and physician.
What makes Private Duty different from Home Health Care?
It is unique because it is usually extended care and does not require a skilledtreatment.
Testimonials from some of our patients:
"My wife was very ill and I needed to continue working to meet the financial needs of the family. Private Duty was able to care for her while I worked, thus decreasing some of the stress due to our situation. Thank you for all you did for us."
"I couldn’t have lived alone without the homemaker. She was a great help and essential to my being able to stay in my own home. She even shopped for me and prepared my meals. God bless all of you."
Touching Lives & Lifting Spirits;Through Hospice Care - [back to top]
Helping patients and families cope with terminal illness through dignity, comfort, and compassion.Hospice is a special kind of interdisciplinary care given in the patient’s home by our team of professionals, volunteers, and dedicated staff. Hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones the end of life. Through sensitivity, appropriate care, and the support of a caring community, terminally ill patients and their families can begin preparing both mentally and spiritually to face the inevitable challenges ahead. The focus is on care, comfort, and the quality of life.
Comments from those whom we’ve had the opportunity to serve:
"Please accept our thanks for all the wonderful help with our father in his final days. You made it possible for us to keep him with us. Please know your thoughtful words and deeds will long be remembered."
"During the recent illness and death of our beloved mother, we were impressed and touched by the care given to us by the Hospice team. The nurses were so kind and we felt this was more than just a job to them. The nursing assistant was very gentle and efficient and the hospice chaplain helped her spiritually through some of the most difficult times. God bless you all. Your kindness will always be remembered."
Schneck Medical Center Hospice provides:
- Free nursing evaluation
- Skilled nursing care (infusion therapy, pain management, symptom management, case management)
- 24 hour on-call nursing support
- Home Hospice Aids (bathing, exercises, personal care)
- Therapy services (physical, occupational, and speech therapy)
- Individual and family counseling (short-term individual and family support with a focus on assessment and referral if needed)
- Social work services (home needs assessment, community referrals, assistance with funeral planning, and psychosocial plan of care)
- Pastoral and spiritual care
- Volunteer support (companionship, household tasks, respite for caregiver)
- Bereavement support for loved ones (memorial services, resources, support)
- Dietary counseling
- Pharmacy support
- Medical Director (compliments the care of your own family physician)
Schneck Medical Center Hospice provides service to the following Indiana counties:
- Bartholomew
- Brown
- Jackson
- Jennings
- Lawrence
- Monroe
- Scott
- Washington
Cost of Services
Hospice services are available to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Medicare and most private insurance policies reimburse services. Patients who choose the Hospice Medicare Benefit will have all needs relative to the terminal illness covered with no deductibles or co-insurance participation. The attending physician continues to bill as usual. Special arrangements can be made for those who do not qualify for Medicare and have no private insurance. Hospice will implement all available means to meet their related needs.
The Medicare Hospice Benefit
Who is eligible for Medicare Hospice Benefits?
Hospice care is covered under Medicare Part A (hospital insurance). You are eligible for Medicare hospice benefits when:- You are eligible for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance); and
- Your doctor and the hospice medical director certify that you are terminally ill and probably have less than six months to live; and
- You sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of routine Medicare covered benefits for your terminal illness; and
- You receive care from a Medicare-approved hospice program.
Medicare will still pay for covered benefits that are not related to your terminal illness.
How does Hospice work?
Your doctor and the hospice will work with you and your family to set up a plan of care that meets your needs. The plan of care includes the hospice services you need that are covered by Medicare. Below is a list of these services, including grief and loss counseling for your family.
The care that the hospice gives you is meant to help you make the most of the last months of life by giving you comfort and relief from pain. The focus is on care, not cure.
What does Medicare cover?
- Doctor services
- Nursing care
- Medical equipment (wheelchairs, hospital bed, etc.)
- Medical supplies (bandages, catheters, etc.)
- Drugs for symptom control and pain relief
- Short-term care in the hospital, including respite
- Home health aide and homemaker services
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Social worker services
- Dietary counseling
- Counseling to help you and your family with grief and loss
What is not covered?
Treatment to cure your terminal illness. As a hospice patient, you get comfort care to help you cope with your illness, not cure it. Comfort care includes medications for symptom control and pain relief, physical care, counseling and other hospice services. Hospice uses medicine, equipment, and supplies to make you as comfortable and pain-free as possible. Medicare will not pay for treatment to cure your illness. You should talk to your doctor if you are thinking about potential treatment to cure your illness. As a hospice patient, you will always have the right to stop getting hospice care and go back to your regular doctor or health plan.
Care from another hospice that was not set up by your hospice. You must get hospice care from the hospice provider you chose. You cannot get hospice care from another hospice provider, unless you change your hospice provider.
Can I keep my Medicare health plan?
Yes. You should use your Medicare health plan to get care for any health problems that are not related to your terminal illness. You may be able to get this care from your own doctor who is not a part of the hospice, or from the hospice doctor. When you use your Medicare health plan, you must pay the deductible and coinsurance amounts (if you have the original Medicare plan), or the co-payment (if you have the Medicare managed care plan). For more information about Medicare health plans, including deductibles, coinsurance, and co-payments, look in your Medicare & You handbook. If you do not have the Medicare handbook, you can get a free copyby calling 800.633.4227 (800.MEDICARE).
Important Information about Medicare Supplemental Insurance:If you are in the original Medicare plan, you may have a Medicare Supplemental Insurance or "Medigap" policy. Your Medigap policy still helps to cover the costs for the care of health problems that are not related to your terminal illness. Call your insurance company for more information or call 800.633.4227 (800.MEDICARE) and ask for a free copy of the Guide to HealthInsurance for People with Medicare.
How long can I receive hospice care?
You can receive hospice care as long as your doctor certifies that you are terminally ill and probably have less than six months to live. Even if you live longer than six months, you can receive hospice care as long as your doctorrecertifies that you are terminally ill.
Referrals and questions about our hospice may be made by contacting the Hospice Care Coordinator at 812.522.0508. A physician referral is required.
Accepted by Medicare and most insurance policies.
Accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Hospice of Schneck Medical Center is a Medicare/Medicaid Certified program.