The order.
Your doctor or hospital sends us a referral, or you call us and we work with your doctor.
For patients and families
Getting started with home health.
You don't need to have all the answers. Here is how home health works, what the first visit is like, and how to ask for BREMA, in plain words.
You choose your home health agency.
Home health, explained
What is home health care?
Home health care is skilled nursing and therapy that your doctor orders and a Medicare-certified agency provides in your home. Nurses and therapists visit on a schedule, usually a few times a week, for a limited time, to help you recover and learn to manage your health at home.
Common reasons for home health include skilled nursing, physical therapy at home and wound care. To see if Medicare covers it for you, read who qualifies.
See our services- Your doctor orders it.
Home health starts with a doctor's order and a plan of care your doctor signs.
- Visits, not all-day care.
Nurses and therapists come for scheduled visits, usually a few times a week.
- Goals, then graduation.
Care has clear goals. When you reach them, home health ends.
Getting started
How do I start home health?
Ask your doctor or hospital case manager for BREMA, or call us at 214-339-9466 and we'll work with your doctor's office. Here is what happens next.
We call you.
We confirm your address and plan, explain what's covered and set up the first visit.
The first visit.
A nurse or therapist reviews your health, your medicines and your home's safety.
Your care plan.
You set goals together. Your doctor approves the plan and the visit schedule.
Reaching your goals.
Visits taper as you get stronger. When you meet your goals, home health ends.
The first visit
What happens at the first visit?
A nurse or therapist comes to your home, reviews your health, your medicines and how safe your home is, and answers your questions. Together you set goals and a visit schedule, and your doctor approves the plan.
Have these ready
All of your medicines (including vitamins and over-the-counter products), hospital discharge papers, insurance cards and a list of your doctors.
Family members are welcome at visits. They often learn how to help between visits, such as with exercises, wound care or medicines.
How long does home health last?
Home health lasts as long as you qualify and your doctor orders it. Your doctor reviews and signs your plan of care at least every 60 days. Visits are often more frequent at first and taper off as you reach your goals.
You choose
Can I choose my home health agency?
Yes. You can choose any Medicare-certified home health agency that serves your area and can meet your needs. When you leave the hospital, staff should give you a list of agencies that serve your area. They can make suggestions, but the choice is yours.
What to say:"I'd like BREMA Healthcare for my home health. Their number is 214-339-9466."
Tell your doctor, your hospital case manager or the social worker at your nursing facility. They send us the order, and we call you to set up the first visit.
Already home?
Call us. If your doctor agrees you need care, we work with the doctor's office to get the order.
Switching agencies?
Tell your doctor and the agency you want to use. The new agency works with your doctor to take over your care.
Questions to ask any home health agency
- Do you serve my address?
- Do you take my insurance?
- Do you provide the services my doctor ordered?
- When could the first visit happen?
- Who do I call with questions, including evenings and weekends?
- Do you have staff who speak my language?
- How will you keep my doctor updated?
Call us and ask us any of these questions.
Know the difference
Home health vs. home care: what's the difference?
Home health is skilled medical care, such as nursing and therapy, that a doctor orders for a limited time, and Medicare covers it if you qualify. Home care is non-medical help with daily life, such as cooking, cleaning, errands or companionship, and is usually paid privately or by long-term care insurance.
| Home health (what BREMA does) | Home care (non-medical) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides it | Nurses, therapists and aides | Caregivers and companions |
| What they do | Health checks, wound care, IV, therapy, teaching | Meals, light housework, errands, company |
| Doctor's order | Required | Not required |
| How often | Scheduled visits, often a few times a week | Shifts of a few hours up to live-in help |
| How long | Until you reach your care goals | As long as you need and pay for it |
| Who usually pays | Medicare and many health plans, if you qualify | You, or long-term care insurance |
Home health (what BREMA does)
- Who provides it
- Nurses, therapists and aides
- What they do
- Health checks, wound care, IV, therapy, teaching
- Doctor's order
- Required
- How often
- Scheduled visits, often a few times a week
- How long
- Until you reach your care goals
- Who usually pays
- Medicare and many health plans, if you qualify
Home care (non-medical)
- Who provides it
- Caregivers and companions
- What they do
- Meals, light housework, errands, company
- Doctor's order
- Not required
- How often
- Shifts of a few hours up to live-in help
- How long
- As long as you need and pay for it
- Who usually pays
- You, or long-term care insurance
Many families use both. Home health covers the skilled visits your doctor orders, and a home care company can help with meals, errands or company between visits. Hospice is different again: it is a separate Medicare benefit for comfort care when someone has a terminal illness and is no longer seeking a cure.
Can Medicare pay for home care? Not when non-medical help is the only care you need. Medicare pays for home health when you qualify, and it can include part-time aide help with bathing or dressing alongside your skilled care. See who qualifies.
Going home from the hospital
What should I ask before leaving the hospital?
Before you leave, make sure you know your new medicines, your follow-up appointments, the warning signs to watch for and who will help at home. If your doctor orders home health, you can choose the agency, including BREMA.
Before you leave
- What medicines changed, and why?
- What warning signs mean I should call, and whom do I call?
- When is my follow-up appointment, and with which doctor?
- Do I need equipment, such as a walker, shower chair or oxygen, and who orders it?
- Will I need home health, and can I choose the agency?
- What can I eat, and how active can I be?
Getting the home ready
- Clear walkways and remove loose rugs
- Add night lights between the bed and bathroom
- Put a shower chair and grab bars in the bathroom if needed
- Set up a bed on the main floor if stairs are hard
- Keep all medicines in one place with the new list
- Post your doctors' phone numbers by the phone
The first week at home
- Take medicines exactly as the new list says, and throw out old instructions only after your nurse or doctor reviews them
- Keep the follow-up appointment and bring all your medicines
- Write down questions as they come up
- Watch for the warning signs your care team gave you
- Expect a call from your home health agency to set up the first visit
When should we call the doctor or 911?
Call your doctor or home health nurse
The warning signs your care team gave you, a fever, new swelling, a wound that looks worse, or trouble with a medicine.
Call 911
Chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech trouble), fainting or severe bleeding.
Common questions
Questions families ask
Do I need a doctor's order for home health?
Yes. Home health starts with an order from your doctor or another allowed provider, who also signs your plan of care. If you think you need home health, ask your doctor, or call BREMA and we'll help you ask.
Who arranges home health when I leave the hospital?
Usually the hospital case manager or social worker sends the referral after your doctor orders home health. You choose the agency. Tell them if you want BREMA.
How soon does home health start after I get home?
It depends on your doctor's order, your insurance and the visit schedule. Ask your case manager when the first visit is planned, and expect the agency to call you to set it up.
Do I have to use the agency the hospital suggests?
No. The hospital can suggest agencies, but you decide. You can ask for BREMA by name.
Can I get home health if I live with family?
Yes. Living with a spouse, child or other family member does not affect whether you qualify. What matters is your skilled need, being homebound and your doctor's order.
Do I need to come to your office?
No. All care happens in your home. Our office handles scheduling and paperwork.
Ready to talk it through?
Call us Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. We can tell you if home health may help, whether we serve your address and if we take your plan, even if you haven't talked to your doctor yet.
Source: Medicare.gov, Home health services (opens in a new tab)