Home Care Resources
We have plenty of resources available for patients and families interested in learning how to make aging at home possible.
SSM Health at Home is here for you as you navigate your health care journey. If you have questions about how our care can help you or a loved one, we are available to discuss care needs and how our home health services can help.
After Admission
SSM Health at Home is here to help you make the transition from hospital to home as smooth as possible. Our highly skilled and experienced staff will work with you and your physician to see how we can meet your needs.
We have plenty of resources for you, your family, and caregivers to help you through these challenging times. Our SSM Health at Home nurses will go through these materials at the start of your care. Among the topics we will cover with you:
- Consent for treatment
- Privacy notice (HIPAA)
- Patient bill of rights
- Your visit calendar
- Medicare coverage materials
- Communication
- Your emergency plan
- Costs of services
Planning Your Health Care Decisions
We all experience life-changing sickness at some point in our lives. At these times, we'll also help you work through making some big decisions about your care. It is important to look ahead and consider the possible health-related decisions you may face in the future.
Our staff is dedicated to using our health care skills to provide exceptional care for our patients, including those with incurable illnesses. When you have an incurable illness, we believe you have the right to make your own health care decisions.
You may want to talk to your physician, family, and loved ones about your wishes in case you are unable to communicate later. You can communicate your wishes through a living will or by appointing a durable power of attorney for health care matters. SSM Health at Home will honor your request within the limits of the law. In the event that your request cannot be honored, we will assist in transferring your care to another home health care provider.
In thinking about these and other difficult health care questions, it is helpful to obtain input from your physician(s), a nurse, and/or other health care professionals. They can help you better understand available treatments/therapies and the effects of your decision(s) about the use or non-use of such treatments and therapies. Additional help in dealing with these questions can be gained by talking with your priest, minister, or rabbi.
- You must be as clear as possible about the values that influence your decisions in health care matters.
- You should document your wishes as clearly and specifically as possible. While this may be done in several written formats, it is important to remember that the goal of such a document is to assist others in making decisions about your care if you cannot do so.
- Your wishes and the document(s) should be given to everyone who is likely to be involved in making decisions about your care. This may include your family, physician(s), and minister, priest, or rabbi.
Patient Self-Determination Act
SSM Health at Home abides by the provisions of the federal Patient Self-Determination Act and the laws of the state. We will not condition the provision of care or otherwise discriminate against an individual based on whether or not he/she has executed an advance directive.