HOME CARE

Independent Living Made Possible

Selfhelp Community Services is licensed and certified through the New York State Department of Health to offer home care services. Our not-for-profit home care program employs over 1,500 home health aides who provide more than 2 million hours of care each year. From skilled nursing, to assistance with bathing, grooming, housekeeping, preparing meals and performing other daily chores, our home care program makes it possible for tens of thousands of New Yorkers to continue to live independently in their homes.

WHY CHOOSE SELFHELP

Selfhelp is unique in our ability to provide a full range of home and community-based care. Individuals receiving home care have access to Selfhelp’s community-based social services.

Selfhelp offers specialized care for:

Individuals with memory impairment, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease
Holocaust Survivors
Immigrants, including Russian, Spanish, and Mandarin speakers
Individuals requiring live-in, 24/7 care
Individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

What is Home Care

Selfhelp's Service Area

Standards & Regulations

Homemaking & Housekeeping

Who Pays for Home Care

Service Levels

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Contact Selfhelp’s intake team to discuss the plan of care for you or your loved one. This will include scheduling a free assessment with Selfhelp’s nurse.

Call or message our team to learn more about home care services for yourself or a loved one. Our team is able to answer your questions, including type of care offered, payment methods, geographic coverage, and more.

New York City

Long Island

HOME HEALTH AIDE TRAINING PROGRAM

Selfhelp’s Home Health Aide (HHA) and Personal Care Aide (PCA) training programs are approved by the New York State Department of Health and are provided free of charge. Students attend core curriculum trainings in the classroom, and then progress to the laboratory to learn clinical skills, and conclude with field training in clients’ homes.

What is Home Care

The terms “home care” and “home health care” are used interchangeably to refer to skilled clinical care, such as nursing and physical therapy or medication management, as well as to describe a variety of non-medical paraprofessional services such as homemaking, housekeeping, personal care and household chores. These services are provided at home, as opposed to at a hospital or rehabilitation center, to allow the person to continue living as independently as possible in their own home and community.

There are two types of home care agencies in New York State:

Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA)

Provides short-term rehabilitative skilled in-home care, including nursing, physical and occupational therapists, home health aides, and social workers to provide an after care from surgery and manage chronic conditions with the goal of avoiding hospitalization.

Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA)

Provides short or long term non-medical paraprofessional services to assist with activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, grooming, mobility, eating, meal preparation, housekeeping, and more. Care is provided by home health aides and is supervised by registered nurses.

Selfhelp is licensed and certified through the New York State Department of Health to offer both CHHA and LHCSA services.

Our skilled staff work collaboratively to provide high quality coordinated care. Our home care staff include:

Registered Nurses review the medical needs of clients, in consultation with their doctors, assess and evaluate home care requirements, manage care plans, including medicine reconciliation, education, and management, wound care, nutrition, and coordination of care between other disciplines.

Social Workers evaluate clients’ social and emotional needs, identify community resources, assist with applications for benefits and entitlements, and provide overall strategies and support for ongoing care.

Home Care Aides perform light household tasks such as laundry, meal preparation, general housekeeping and shopping, as well as assist with getting out of bed, walking, bathing, grooming, dressing, medication management and wound care, when needed. All home care aides are fully certified and receive ongoing training through Selfhelp’s Training Department. Aides are supported by our staff and mentors.

Physical Therapists help their clients with after care from surgery and improving strength, balance, coordination, and endurance through exercise.

Every Selfhelp client has access to our full range of community-based services and our experienced and compassionate caregivers.

Who Pays for Home Care

Many families have questions about how to pay for home care. Contact our team to discuss your family’s situation.

Medicare

Most Americans older than 65 are eligible for the federally funded Medicare program. If an individual is homebound, under a physician’s care, and requires medically necessary skilled services, they may be eligible for services provided by a Medicare-certified home health agency like Selfhelp. Medicare pays for short-term, and rehabilitative care. Medicare may pay for skilled nursing; physical, occupational, and speech therapies; medical social work; home health aides (HHA) services; and medical equipment and supplies. The referring physician must authorize the patient’s plan of care.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a joint federal-state medical assistance program for low-income individuals. Medicaid provides coverage for home health services and must include part-time nursing, PCA services, and medical supplies and equipment. Medicaid also covers audiology, physical, occupational and speech therapies, and medical social services.

Managed Care Organizations

Commercial health insurance companies typically cover some home care services for acute needs, but benefits for long-term services vary from plan to plan. Most commercial and private insurance plans will cover nursing, social work, therapies, personal care, medications, and medical supplies and equipment. Cost-sharing varies with individual policies, but often is not required. Individuals sometimes find it necessary to purchase Medigap insurance or long-term care insurance policies for additional home care coverage.

Medigap

This insurance is designed to bridge some of the gaps in Medicare coverage. Some Medigap policies offer at-home recovery benefits, which pay for some personal care services when the policyholder is receiving Medicare-covered skilled home health services.

Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-term care insurance was intended to protect individuals from the catastrophic expense of a lengthy stay in a nursing home. As the need and preference for home care has grown, private long-term care insurance policies have expanded their coverage of personal care, companionship, and other in-home services.

Private Pay

Home Care services can be arranged for individuals who are interested in paying privately for Selfhelp Home Care Services. These can include anything from service a few hours per day or a few days a week, to provide relief to a caregiver, to seven day a week care for safety, comfort, and peace of mind.