Home Health
What is Home Health?
At its basic level, "home health care" means exactly what it sounds like – medical care provided in a patient's home. Home health care can include broad care given by skilled medical professionals, including skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Home health care can also include skilled, non-medical care, such as medical social services or assistance with daily living from a highly qualified home health aide. As the Medicare program describes, home health care is unique as a care setting not only because the care is provided in the home, but the care itself is "usually less expensive, more convenient, and just as effective" as care given in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. |
What if a problem develops?
If you invest some time and follow the steps outlined in this website, you most likely will receive high-quality, safe, and effective home care. If a problem develops, however, or if you would like to register a complaint, notify the home care provider's chief supervisor or administrator. If necessary, contact the Illinois Department of Public Health complaint Hotline at 1-800-252-4343 for all health care provider complaints; the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-252-8966 for nursing home complaints; and the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division for other consumer complaints at 1-800-844-5461.
Although rare, cases of fraud do exist in some health care operations. These fraudulent activities waste valuable health care dollars. If you suspect fraud, even on the slightest scale, you should report these activities to the Illinois Department of Public Health at 1-800-252-4343. If a case involves the delivery of Medicare home care services, contact the Office of the Inspector General hot line at 800/HHS-TIPS.
If you invest some time and follow the steps outlined in this website, you most likely will receive high-quality, safe, and effective home care. If a problem develops, however, or if you would like to register a complaint, notify the home care provider's chief supervisor or administrator. If necessary, contact the Illinois Department of Public Health complaint Hotline at 1-800-252-4343 for all health care provider complaints; the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-252-8966 for nursing home complaints; and the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division for other consumer complaints at 1-800-844-5461.
Although rare, cases of fraud do exist in some health care operations. These fraudulent activities waste valuable health care dollars. If you suspect fraud, even on the slightest scale, you should report these activities to the Illinois Department of Public Health at 1-800-252-4343. If a case involves the delivery of Medicare home care services, contact the Office of the Inspector General hot line at 800/HHS-TIPS.