54-year old news anchor Brian Williams will have knee replacement surgery and will be taking a temporary leave from the NBC news anchor chair. Williams explained that he took a helmet to the knee years ago in a high school football game, but that the pain had become unmanageable over the past year.
Williams is facing a decision being addressed by many Americans and particularly the elderly, as knee pain becomes too much to bear over the years. Fortunately, for most people this surgery can have a very positive impact on their quality of life.
Once you consult with a doctor and consider this option, you’ll see that many of them have a very clear routine in place, as they plan pre-operative education to prepare patients for their transition to a new knee along with post-operative physical therapy. Most patients spend several days in the hospital and then move on to out-patient services including physical and occupational therapy.
Older patients will naturally need more help during the post-operative phase, so it’s important to plan for this ahead of time. Once you’re back at home a family caregiver can help you or your loved one during this period with all sorts of personal needs like housekeeping, running errands, meal preparation and help with bathing to make the transition go as smoothly as possible. If you do not have a caregiver then you should find the right caregiver to help with the activities of daily living. Look for a state licensed nursing registry to match you with the right caregiver for your needs. After knee surgery a home health aide or certified nursing assistant would be qualified to tend to your home health care needs.
After knee surgery Medicare may pay for a limited amount of skilled home health care services for patients over 65 years old, including but not limited to a registered nurse’s visit, physical therapy, occupational therapy and social workers.
Normally personal care services including assistance with bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, walking and transferring are not covered by Medicare. However, If your doctor decides that you need medical care at home he or she will make a plan for your home care. If you have Medicare the following conditions must be met to qualify for coverage:
You must need intermittent skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, or to continue occupational therapy.
The home health agency caring for you must be approved by the Medicare program (Medicare-certified).
You must be homebound, or normally unable to leave home without help. To be homebound means that leaving home takes considerable and taxing effort. You can be homebound and still leave home for medical treatment or short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as trips to a barber or church. A need for adult day care doesn’t keep you from getting home health care.
Home health aide services on a part-time or intermittent basis. A home health aide doesn’t have a nursing license, but supports the nurse by providing services such as help with bathing, using the bathroom, dressing, or other personal care. These types of services don’t need the skills of a licensed nurse. Medicare doesn’t cover home health aide services unless you are also getting skilled care such as nursing care or other therapy. The home health aide services must be part of the home care for your illness or injury.