Home Health Services verses Outpatient Services
At MRC Creekside we are able to provide Home Health Services and Outpatient services. We have partnered with 3 home health agencies to provide a continuum of care for our residents. Creekside is also a licensed outpatient clinic.
For home health services, you must be homebound, which means you have limitations on leaving home. Home health provides nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, mental health services, social services and aide care (depending on your insurance). It is structured to help you to be safe and independent within your home, such as cooking, navigate in your home without falling, safe bed mobility, dress and bathe safely and independently, etc. In addition, home health services will provide proper body mechanics for standing, lifting, bending and suggesting needed adaptive equipment, and home modifications.
Outpatient services are provided at a facility or clinic. Outpatient clinics provide physical, occupational and speech therapy, but no nursing/physician services on premise. The therapy is designed to specifically help you, the patient move, communicate, and interact better both at home and in the community. It is designed to help you decrease your pain, increase your function and strength, so that you can have a more active lifestyle.
For both, how much and how well you progress depends on how much and how well you do the “homework” provided by your therapist. In an outpatient setting, you get more motivation from interacting with the other clients. Because of the setting, equipment is available to help you progress more with exercise and also is more conducive to be able to perform hands on services, such as massage, electrical stimulation and moist heat, etc.
Both home health and outpatient services have their benefits; it just depends on where you are in your personal health journey and transportation availability.
