By Kathey Perez, Therapy Resource – Keystone South Central, TX
Outpatient On Demand is a great way to look at ways to expand our delivery of outpatient services. Many of our patients are afraid to leave their home due to the pandemic, or can’t leave due to transportation issues, or maybe they are fearful to leave our facilities worried about failure when they go home. Outpatient on Demand helps us overcome some of these concerns while meeting the needs of our community. We can help those that may not be homebound by home health standards but have a need for services, and help the successful transition of patients back into their home by being able to provide education and training in the area they need to thrive. Once the patient is able to come to our facility, we can transition them to Outpatient at the facility as well. Patient identification should start with care planning upon admission to our facility. We can also identify them by doing home evaluations prior to discharge.
Home eval prior to discharge:
• What allows us to provide therapy in the home?
o Medicare specifies four locations from which a provider can provide outpatient physical therapy. Medicare Part B pays for outpatient physical therapy services when furnished by: a provider to its outpatients in the patient’s home; in the facility’s outpatient department; to inpatients of other institutions
• What is it and Why Now?
o Therapy services (PT, OT, ST) offered that meet the patients where they’re at, focusing on what matters most, being able to function in their actual home/community environment.
o COVID related shutdown, limitations, and resident declines created a shortage of therapy and a need more than ever
• What differentiates this from Home Health Services?
o Residents are not required to be certified as home-bound to participate in our services. On average, we are able to provide MORE therapy than is typically seen in HH settings. Maintenance programs are a big part of our outpatient programs