Home Health Services
Services and Facilities
UPMC HomeCare encompasses an entire network of in-home services that can contribute to a patient's overall recovery. Professional staff care for patients of all ages, from newborns to older adults. Services are available in Allegheny County and 30 other western Pennsylvania counties:
When your doctor orders any home care service for you, he or she develops a detailed plan of care. This plan includes information about you and your condition, such as your diagnosis, x-ray and lab test results, allergies, and ability to carry out activities of daily living. The plan also lists the doctor's orders as they apply to a specific home care service and treatment goals.
Hospital Discharge Planning
Patients who have been hospitalized for an injury, illness, or chronic condition often need follow-up medical care at home. For example, a doctor may prescribe home care services such as a special pressurized mattress, home chemotherapy, or speech therapy. Sometimes this care is so specialized that family and friends cannot help out. An in-home health network such as UPMC HomeCare can provide expert medical care when and where you need it most.
While you are in the hospital, your doctor, nurse, discharge planner, case manager, or social worker can help you arrange in-home care. Your doctor will prescribe home care services based on your condition, needs, and circumstances.
Your discharge team must provide detailed information about any services they arrange, including the names, addresses, and phone numbers of service providers. The team's goal is to make the transition from hospital to home as smooth as possible.
Although your discharge team can make recommendations about which home care provider to use, the final decision is up to you. Medicare requires health care professionals to tell their patients about the choices available to them.
A special program called Follow-Me-Home helps older patients who are being discharged from the hospital to home. To be eligible for its services, patients must live in specific Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
Home Health
Patients who recently have been discharged from a hospital might benefit from a home health program. In addition, patients with short-term or chronic illnesses might need specialized care but do not need to be hospitalized. Home health services are designed to help patients avoid hospital readmission following surgery or illness, minimize complications, and help the patient recover as quickly as possible.
UPMC HomeCare's in-home health services include specialty nursing care; physical, occupational, and speech therapies; and help from other professionals such as aides, social workers, and nutritionists:
- specialty nursing care
cardiovascular (heart)
pulmonary (lung)
behavioral health
oncology (cancer)
gerontology (older adults)
orthopaedic and rehabilitative care
obstetrics (new mothers and infants)
pediatrics (children)
wound care
- home health aides
- medical social services
- nutrition services
- rehabilitation
physical
occupational
speech
Because UPMC's home health services are part of a network of care, other needed services (such as infusion medications and home medical equipment) can be easily integrated into the patient's overall care plan.
Private Duty Nursing
Private duty nursing services provide extended in-home nursing care from a few hours a day to around-the-clock. The service also is available for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Anyone — from newborn to older adult — might benefit from private duty nursing care. UPMC HomeCare's goal is to help you perform daily living activities safely and independently.
One-on-one private duty care nursing care is provided by a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or nurse aide. In most cases, Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance companies do not cover these services. Patients are responsible for all expenses related to private duty nursing care.
Because the service is private pay, neither your doctor nor your insurance company determines the amount of help you can receive. You decide the level of care you want, how much time you need, and what days the nurse will help you. Private duty nursing staff can provide medically necessary care as well as services that are the patient's personal preference, such as help with bathing, a respite visit for your caregiver, or someone to talk to or run errands.
Before service begins, a registered nurse meets with the patient and family to determine the care needed and develop a plan of care. UPMC HomeCare provides the following types of private duty services:
- bath visits
- wake-up and tuck-in service
- escort service
- education for patient and family about treatment, medication, symptoms, and complications
- medication management and administration
- wound care
- light housekeeping duties, including laundry and meal preparation based on prescribed diet
- staffing for institutional and home settings
Home Medical Equipment
Home medical equipment — such as a wheelchair, hospital bed, or oxygen system — is sometimes essential to a patient's recovery or independence. UPMC HomeCare provides experienced professionals and services, the latest products and technologies (including unique items that other companies don't stock), and delivery and set-up:
- respiratory therapy
therapists
oxygen therapy
adult and pediatric ventilation
apnea monitoring
- durable medical equipment (DME) and supplies
bathroom safety products
commodes and shower chairs
hospital beds
specialty mattresses and support surfaces
patient lifts
wheelchairs
walkers and canes
blood glucose monitors
diabetes supplies
nebulizers
- rehabilitation specialty services
certified rehabilitation technology specialists
high-strength, ultra-light, and power wheelchairs
scooters
custom seats
tilt and recline systems
equipment modification and repair
With locations throughout western Pennsylvania, UPMC HomeCare serves patients in rural and metropolitan areas. Deliveries are scheduled Monday through Saturday during business hours as well as around-the-clock in emergencies. Highly qualified staff assemble and provide clear instruction, giving you and your caregiver the know-how to use and care for equipment correctly and safely. Staff regularly follow up to make sure each patient is following the doctor's prescribed therapy plan. They also work closely with your doctor, so any changes in your condition can be quickly and easily addressed.
Home Infusion
Home infusion encompasses far more than basic antibiotic therapy. It includes complex intravenous (IV) therapies such as nutrition, pain management, and other specialized regimens:
- antibiotic therapy
- catheter care
- chelation therapy
- chemotherapy
- congestive heart failure management
- heparin therapy
- epogen therapy
- hemophilia services
- HIV-related therapies
- immune globuline therapy
- pain management
- human growth hormone therapy
- transfusion services
- enteral therapy
- total parenteral nutrition
UPMC HomeCare's infusion partner is Chartwell Pennsylvania, which administers home infusion services, medications, staffing, and equipment. Experienced IV nurses work with your doctor to coordinate your treatment, monitor your progress, report any problems or complications, and make any adjustments based on your doctor's orders.
Help at Home
UPMC health care professionals and trained volunteers provide older adults with case management and two special programs: Living-At-Home and Follow-Me-Home. Both are provided at no charge.
The Living-At-Home Program is a care management program for older adults. It provides free, ongoing in-home care for adults age 70 and older to help them live independently as long as possible. To qualify, you must live in one of these Pittsburgh neighborhoods:
- Arlington
- Allentown
- Beltzhoover
- Bloomfield
- Greenfield
- Hazelwood
- Hill District
- Knoxville
- Lawrenceville
- Mt. Oliver
- Oakland
- Squirrel Hill
- South Side
The program makes referrals for a range of services — from home-delivered meals to help with grocery shopping, housekeeping, and yard work. Program nurses are available to visit older adults, help identify their medical needs, and recommend UPMC or community services that can provide needed care. For more information, call 412-473-6677.
The Follow-Me-Home Program helps older patients who have been hospitalized at UPMC Presbyterian or UPMC Shadyside. To qualify, the patient must be age 70 or older and live in one of these Pittsburgh neighborhoods:
- Greenfield
- Hazelwood
- Hill District
- Oakland
- Shadyside
- Squirrel Hill
Follow-Me-Home is designed to help patients have a successful recovery — avoiding hospital readmission and emergency room visits. It provides up to two weeks of in-home aid after hospital discharge.
Services include assessment visits, shopping, personal care, and supplying small pieces of home health equipment that are not paid for by insurance or other programs. If the patient still needs services at the end of the two-week period, he or she is referred to existing community programs. For more information, call 412-473-6677.