Vancouver Home Health Care Agency

  • 8885 SW Canyon Rd. Suite 220 Portland, OR 97225-3455

Therapy

Pediatric Care Funding

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Pediatric Care Funding Funding pediatric care in an ambulatory setting is different than funding similar care in a home setting. Additionally, children cared for in the home are found to heal faster and more effectively than those who must endure the stress of going to an office, where the surroundings may be unfamiliar. How do costs compare between in-home care and ambulatory settings? The results are surprising. In a study published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, home health care was shown to be the most cost-effective alternative to a hospital setting. Nationally, the cost of in-home care for infants and children was found to be $5.3 billion in the year 2000. It was found that Medicare paid the majority of this bill, which is an important factor for taxpayers. Private insurance was found to pay for less than 1% of these in-home services. Why Not Do It More? This cost-effective option is not employed more, according to the study, due to an inadequate supply of professionals available to come into the home. There was also a shortage of pediatric nurses available to come into the home. Inadequate payment options are a reason, as are restrictions in insurance policies. Additionally, many children must remain in NICU or PICU wards at higher costs due to lack of in home care services. Medicaid is the worst culprit in underpaying home health care agencies for pediatric services. Private insurances hold second place in underpayment, even when in-home care is listed as a policy benefit. The American Academy of Pediatrics has answered this embarrassing shortage by addressing policymakers, as well as Medicaid offices, to improve the availability and affordability of home health care. If you’d like to read the full study, please find it here at: American Academy of Pediatrics If you’d like to talk more about pediatric care, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

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The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Occupational therapy and physical therapy look the same from the outside when they are actually very different forms of therapy for different reasons. While they do overlap in some areas, their end goals are different and the method of therapeutic help are also different. Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy focuses more on the evaluation and improvement of the functional abilities. The occupational therapist will generally not treat a person’s injury directly with manual therapy or acupuncture, as a physical therapist does. Rather, the OT assists in optimizing a person’s independence and ability to complete daily activities after injuries or physical impairment. The OT will treat injuries directly, however, the bigger picture in occupational therapy is on improvement of life skills and using the tools delivered by the therapist to live a better life. Patients work on improving the ability to complete daily tasks; OT’s are far more likely to perform on-site assessments to discover ways to best help the patient. Physical Therapy This type of therapy focuses more on diagnosing and evaluating dysfunctions in movement as well as directly treating the injury. The PT treats the physical issue, such as the bones, injured tissues, or other structures. PT’s will diagnose far more often than OT’s, and will work with the patient in rebuilding or healing structures rather than helping the patient complete daily tasks. The Overlap There is overlap between the two professions, such as in the main focus of PT and OT. Both professions will educate patients on how to best prevent or avoid future injuries, and will help patients understand the healing process. PT’s, through the nature of their work, help people increase the ability to complete their daily tasks, as an OT would. There are, in fact, a number of situations where both types of therapists are involved in a person’s care and healing. Vancouver Home Health Care Agency wants everyone to be educated on the differences in therapies. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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