Recovery Care at Home
A New Program from SSM Health at Home
Program is currently only available in Madison, Wisconsin and will be expanding to other areas soon.
SSM Health at Home's Recovery Care at Home program provides care from the comfort of your own home with the same level of care found in a skilled nursing home setting.
Studies show that patients receiving in-home care recover faster in a familiar environment and are less likely to return to the hospital. Patients at home also spend less time in bed and can be more mobile to enjoy their time with family, friends, and pets.
Benefits of the Recovery Care at Home Program:
- Our in-home team schedules all your medical appointments for you.
- We provide daily in-home and virtual visits.
- You’ll receive any needed therapy, imaging, labs, and medical equipment.
- We also arrange for consultations with SSM Health specialty physicians.
The Recovery Care at Home Program Includes:
- 24/7 care team assistance by phone or the push of a button on a supplied digital tablet.
- A care coordinator to arrange all your provider visits and ensure seamless communication among your providers and support network.
- In-home visits from your nurse, community paramedics and other health care professionals for injections, IV therapy, catheter care, and more.
- Delivery, set-up, and training on all necessary medical equipment and supplies.
- Virtual visits with a provider overseeing your care.
- Medical treatment and 24-hour remote monitoring, including medication administration at home.
We provide needed specialty services including diagnostic services like blood work or X-rays all provided in your home. Rehabilitation services from physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists to help you regain your mobility and restore your abilities. Patients with respiratory conditions may receive oxygen therapy, ventilation support, or nebulizer treatments at home.
Beginning the Recovery Care at Home Program
Leaving the hospital for home
Once your provider and care team determine you are eligible for our Recovery Care at Home program, a hospitalist will collaborate with your provider to coordinate your medical orders and medications. A pharmacist will review your medications with you before you leave the hospital, and the discharge planning team will help arrange for your transportation home.
Your personalized in-home skilled nursing care
A community paramedic or nurse will visit you at your home soon after your arrival to provide and set up all your necessary vital signs monitoring equipment, medications, and medication storage equipment. The paramedic or nurse will explain how to use the equipment and give you information about the care you’ll receive through the Recovery Care at Home program.
Just like your hospital stay, your provider and nursing team will manage your medications. Your nurse will provide in-home visits as determined by your provider’s orders. If your provider orders them, you also may receive additional visits from other care team members such as physical or occupational therapists.
Your provider will give you more information on any additional in-home visits. Before they arrive at your home, our care team will call you with any instructions for each visit. The Recovery Care at Home team will schedule and communicate with you about any needed clinic visits with other providers.
Your Responsibilities
You will be required to stay at home, take your recommended medications, and actively engage in your care plan to be part of the Recovery Care at Home program. You’ll also be responsible for taking your vital signs twice a day, taking your medications as directed, and communicating that information to your care team using the digital tablet provided. It’s important to attend the virtual visits scheduled by your provider on the digital tablet. When the tablet rings, press the “ACCEPT” button to start your visit.
To speak to your care team, call the triage number 612-887-4848 from your phone, your digital tablet, or start an online chat from your tablet.
Adhering to these guidelines is crucial for your recovery. If you do not comply with them, you may need to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility or discharged from the program Against Medical Advice (AMA).
Your Discharge From Recovery Care at Home Program
When it is time to discharge from the Recovery Care at Home program, you will have a virtual visit on the digital tablet with your provider to receive instructions about any future care needs and/or medications. Your provider will place any new medication orders to be picked up at a pharmacy of your choice.
If needed, your provider will order any home care services to follow your discharge from the Recovery Care at Home program. A nurse will make a final in-home visit to review the details in your after-visit summary any medication orders.
You will need to pack up the monitoring equipment in the provided packaging. Your care team will arrange for all equipment to be picked up from your home. If you would like to speak to the home health care team, call the triage number 612-887-4848.
Billing Information for SSM Health at Home's Recovery Care at Home Program
Your insurance plan may cover certain services or providers differently, resulting in bills for any out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, or services not covered by your insurance plan.
Some services such as laboratory tests, imaging scans (like X-rays), and durable medical equipment (like braces or crutches) may result in separate bills from the providers who administered these services.
Should you have any questions or concerns about the bills you receive, please contact your insurance provider for clarification or contact our billing department at: 800-536-0776 for services rendered by SSM Health at Home and 888-918-3512 for services rendered by our hospitals.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Patients can be part of the Recovery Care at Home program until care is no longer needed, like a typical hospital stay.
Since insurers often have different coverage plans, your care team will help you to evaluate whether your insurance plan offers coverage for the Recovery Care at Home program prior to your hospital discharge.
You will be provided with equipment such as blood pressure monitors and thermometers that collect important vital signs and analyze your care. A specialized care team remotely monitors the devices. If the team detects a concern, they can quickly provide help to you.
Your care team is always one phone call or button click away. You and your family can call or reach out by video on a digital tablet you will be provided upon admission to the program.
SSM Health at Home's Recovery Care at Home program brings all the resources of a skilled nursing facility directly to you for personalized care that allows you to focus on a quick recovery from the comfort of your own home. Talk with your care team for more information and to see if you qualify for our in-home skilled nursing care program.