Homecare

Understanding Homecare

Home is where you feel nurtured and comfortable. But when you’re having trouble managing your health, the comforts of home can be hard to come by. Wellstar Homecare can help, making it easier for patients of all ages to get well, stay well, and live well. We understand—there’s no better place for healing than home. As part of the Wellstar Health System, Wellstar Homecare is supported by an extensive network of specialists, facilities, technology and resources. The healthcare professionals at Wellstar are known for exceptional patient care. They’re also honest, dependable, and friendly—just like anyone you’d invite into your home.

Home Health: A hospital stay rarely lasts long enough to see you through to complete recovery. That’s why Wellstar Homecare gives you the time and the care you need to get better where you feel better—at home. Adult and pediatric homecare services are designed to work with your physician and mirror every aspect of your healthcare strategy. Our staff is trained to help the family grow comfortable with the responsibilities of medical care. We are licensed to provide Home Health services in the following counties: Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Fulton, Haralson, Paulding and Troup.

Homecare Services at Wellstar

Wellstar's Homecare Services team works with patients, their families, and their physicians to provide the best possible care in the comfort and familiar surroundings of patients' homes. Accredited by the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations, we provide patient care in a variety of ways (services may vary by location):

• Professional Nursing Care—Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) provide treatment requiring medical expertise, as directed by a physician, and also teach patients to manage their own healthcare.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy – Goal-directed treatment fosters independence through greater mobility, function, communication, strength, flexibility, and essential life skills.
• Wound care – Specially trained nurses provide highly-skilled wound care and skincare and teach ostomy care and appliance fitting.
• Social Support – When you need financial guidance or emotional counseling, a compassionate Medical Social Worker can help.
• Pediatric and Maternal/Child Services – Wellstar Homecare's pediatric registered nurses provide an alternative to hospital care, which include nursing visits for high-risk premature infants and newborns. (Only available in the Greater Atlanta service area.)

Homecare Providers at Wellstar

Wellstar Homecare delivers a wide variety of health care and supportive services, ranging from professional nursing and home health aides to physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapies. Wellstar also provides social work services. Services for the treatment of medical conditions are prescribed by an individual's physician. The following professionals provide Wellstar Homecare services:

• Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) provide skilled services that cannot be performed safely and effectively by nonprofessional personnel. Some of these services include injections and intravenous therapy, wound care, education on disease treatment and prevention, and patient assessments. RNs may also provide case management services. RNs have received two or more years of specialized education and are licensed to practice by the state. LPNs are also licensed and work under the supervision of registered nurses.
• Physical therapists (PTs) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) work to restore the prior function of patients who are limited or disabled through the use of exercise, massage, and other methods. PTAs work under the supervision of PTs. Both PTs and PTAs may teach patients and caregivers on a wide range of topics including special techniques for walking and transfers—moving from one location or position to another, for example from a wheelchair to a car, or lying down to sitting up.
• Social workers evaluate the social and emotional factors affecting ill and disabled individuals and provide counseling. They also help patients and their family members identify available community resources.
Speech-language pathologists work to develop and restore the speech of individuals with communication disorders; usually, these disorders are the result of traumas such as surgery or stroke. Speech therapists also help retrain patients in breathing, swallowing, and muscle control.
• Occupational therapists (OTs) and Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants (COTAs) help individuals who have physical or developmental problems that prevent them from performing the general activities of daily living (ADLs). OTs instruct patients on using specialized rehabilitation techniques and equipment to improve their function in tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, and basic household routines.

Paying for Wellstar Homecare

Wellstar Homecare Services are generally paid for by insurance companies or government programs. We accept a variety of insurance plans, worker’s compensation and most government plans including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. Please contact Central Intake at (770) 792-1660 for help with insurance eligibility.