Medicare Woes
Medicare and Isolation
Catch 22.
A disproportionate number of Americans rely on Medicare as their primary insurance after retirement. In and of itself, that's not a bad thing. If it weren't for Medicare, many of our citizens, both elders and those that are disabled would have no medical insurance coverage at all. I'm thankful that there is a Medicare.
What I'm not thankful for, as a home health nurse is that I have to qualify people who are on Medicare. Anymore, private insurance is following Medicare's lead in some areas.
You see, when caring for a Medicare patient, the nurse has the responsibility of making sure that the patient is "home bound." This means they can go to doctor visits, an occasional hair cut, sometimes to church.
So what's the problem? For the disabled and the chronically ill, being home bound can lead to tremendous social isolation. Unless there are friends left, or family around, the isolation can be unbearable, and lead to further depression. I don't think it's very healthy to be forced to stay home, to not be able to enjoy a few hours out in public. To be chronically ill, and forced to stay home, is to sentence the ill person to focus on their illness. Without the mental break of being with other people in social situations, this can only lead to further decline.
That's just my opinion. My opinion doesn't mean anything as far as Medicare's concerned.
I'm not the Nurse-Police.
On the other side of the coin, abuse of Home Health when the patient can easily get to a clinic or the doctor, is definite cause to discharge from the agency. So is non-compliance, when the patient states they will be at home, yet there are multiple incidences of being away from home.
So how do you balance? How to be fair to the human who desperately needs human contact, without violating Medicare standards...hmmm...
it's a pickle.
Tomorrow....the Oasis debacle, stay tuned!
A disproportionate number of Americans rely on Medicare as their primary insurance after retirement. In and of itself, that's not a bad thing. If it weren't for Medicare, many of our citizens, both elders and those that are disabled would have no medical insurance coverage at all. I'm thankful that there is a Medicare.
What I'm not thankful for, as a home health nurse is that I have to qualify people who are on Medicare. Anymore, private insurance is following Medicare's lead in some areas.
You see, when caring for a Medicare patient, the nurse has the responsibility of making sure that the patient is "home bound." This means they can go to doctor visits, an occasional hair cut, sometimes to church.
So what's the problem? For the disabled and the chronically ill, being home bound can lead to tremendous social isolation. Unless there are friends left, or family around, the isolation can be unbearable, and lead to further depression. I don't think it's very healthy to be forced to stay home, to not be able to enjoy a few hours out in public. To be chronically ill, and forced to stay home, is to sentence the ill person to focus on their illness. Without the mental break of being with other people in social situations, this can only lead to further decline.
That's just my opinion. My opinion doesn't mean anything as far as Medicare's concerned.
I'm not the Nurse-Police.
On the other side of the coin, abuse of Home Health when the patient can easily get to a clinic or the doctor, is definite cause to discharge from the agency. So is non-compliance, when the patient states they will be at home, yet there are multiple incidences of being away from home.
So how do you balance? How to be fair to the human who desperately needs human contact, without violating Medicare standards...hmmm...
it's a pickle.
Tomorrow....the Oasis debacle, stay tuned!
posted by KennewickMusing at
6:16 PM
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