Dementia Care at Home

Dementia Care at Home: an individual home care plan

Dementia-related home care needs vary with the person, diagnosis and support available. Skilled home health can assess relevant movement and daily-task difficulties and teach caregivers appropriate strategies within an individual clinical plan.

Individual functional assessment

Dementia is not one uniform functional picture. The clinical diagnosis, person's abilities and home support all matter when skilled services are considered. The assessment should identify the particular movement or daily-task difficulty, rather than assign a generic dementia routine.

Daily-task adaptation

An OT strategy might involve organizing a familiar activity or selecting an appropriate cue, while PT may address an assessed transfer. Caregivers need instructions they can realistically carry out. If the expected assistance exceeds their abilities or availability, education alone does not resolve the problem. Ordered social work can assess relevant support questions and resources.

Caregiver assistance review

This service has a different scope from dedicated memory care or continuous supervision. Eligibility and orders still need review for skilled home health. New symptoms or an abrupt change should not be dismissed as inevitable because dementia is present. The plan supports assessed function and care needs without guaranteeing better memory, independence or a particular disease outcome.

Related care for dementia care at home

Cognitive Rehab at Home (OT). Memory Strategies Training at Home.

Eligibility and insurance review

Original Medicare Part A & B may cover eligible home health care when the applicable homebound, skilled-care, clinician-order and certification requirements are met and services follow an individual plan through a Medicare-certified agency. Coverage and any patient responsibility require verification. Blue Shield of California PPO and Anthem Blue Cross PPO benefits are also reviewed individually. Equipment, medications and separately billed services require their own benefit review.

To discuss dementia care at home in Los Angeles County, contact HarvardCare Home Health with the current clinical instructions and the tasks that need support. Referring clinicians can use the patient referral page. Assessment, service availability and individual eligibility determine the next steps.