Understanding Home Care

Home is where you feel nurtured and comfortable. But when you’re having trouble managing your health, the comforts of home can be hard to come by. WellStar Homecare can help, making it easier for patients of all ages to get well, stay well, and live well. We understand – there’s no better place for healing than home. As part of the WellStar Health System, WellStar Homecare is supported by an extensive network of specialists, facilities, technology and resources. The healthcare professionals at WellStar are known for exceptional patient care. They’re also honest, dependable, and friendly – just like anyone you’d invite into your home.

Home Health: A hospital stay rarely lasts long enough to see you through to complete recovery. That’s why WellStar Homecare gives you the time and the care you need to get better where you feel better – at home. Adult and pediatric home care services are designed to work with your physician and mirror every aspect of your healthcare strategy. Our staff is trained to help the family grow comfortable with the responsibilities of medical care.

Home Equipment: One of the biggest challenges to home recovery can be the home itself. Things like stairs, showers, and even your own bed can become obstacles. WellStar Home Medical Equipment can help. We provide the equipment and supplies you need to be well, and well cared for. From walkers and wheelchairs to adjustable beds and portable oxygen systems, you’ll receive state-of-the-art equipment. And we don’t just deliver – we’ll set up your equipment, then help you learn how to operate it. So you can start feeling “at home” right away.

Home Infusion: When you’re ill, you worry about your health. You also fret over disrupted routines, added expenses, lost time at work, and of course your family. With WellStar Home Infusion, you won’t have to worry about your medication. Our pharmacists and nurses are experts at managing your infusion therapy in your home. Some of the infusions we provide are antibiotics, hydration, intravenous nutrition, cardiac support, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) prevention therapy. We’ll develop an infusion strategy just for you, whether it’s part of a long-term care plan or simply a stage of recovery.

Homecare Services at WellStar

WellStar's Homecare Services team works with patients, their families, and their physicians to provide the best possible care in the comfort and familiar surroundings of patients' homes. Accredited by the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations, we provide patient care in a variety of ways:

• Professional Nursing Care – Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) provide treatment requiring medical expertise, as directed by a physician, and also teach patients to manage their own healthcare.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy – Goal-directed treatment fosters independence through greater mobility, function, communication, strength, flexibility, and essential life skills.
• Wound care – Specially trained nurses provide highly-skilled wound care and skin care, and teach ostomy care and appliance fitting.
• Social Support – When you need financial guidance or emotional counseling, a compassionate Medical Social Worker can help.
• Respiratory Therapy – Our services include oxygen therapy, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BIPAP), apnea monitoring, and pulse oximetry (measurement of blood oxygen content).
• Nutrition Service – A Registered Licensed Dietitian assesses, monitors, and implements nutrition care for patients receiving enteral nutrition (tube feeding) and Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) (intravenous feeding), including providing the enteral formulas..
• Home Infusion Therapy – Staff pharmacists and nurses are available to assist you in managing your infusion therapy at home.
• Equipment and supplies – We provide what you need for safety, comfort, and proper care, including wheelchairs, beds, walkers, canes, bathroom aids, and more.
• Breast Prosthetics - Our Certified Mastectomy Fitters help you find the right prosthetics to help you feel like yourself – available at Kennestone Women’s center.
• Pediatric and Maternal/Child Services – WellStar Homecare's pediatric and maternal/child registered nurses provide an alternative to hospital care. Our services include nursing visits for high risk premature infants, newborns and children, as well as pregnancy-related services and mother/infant care. We offer infusion services as well as antibiotic administration, tube feeding, phototherapy, apnea monitors and oxygen therapy. Synagis administration and coordination is available for high risk infants.

Homecare Providers at WellStar

WellStar Homecare delivers a wide variety of health care and supportive services, ranging from professional nursing and home health aides to physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapies. WellStar also provides social work and nutritional services. Services for the treatment of medical conditions are prescribed by an individual's physician. Wellstar homecare services are provided by the following professionals:

Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) provide skilled services that cannot be performed safely and effectively by nonprofessional personnel. Some of these services include injections and intravenous therapy, wound care, education on disease treatment and prevention, and patient assessments. RNs may also provide case management services. RNs have received two or more years of specialized education and are licensed to practice by the state. LPNs are also licensed and work under the supervision of registered nurses.

Physical therapists (PTs) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) work to restore the prior function of patients who are limited or disabled through the use of exercise, massage, and other methods. PTAs work under the supervision of PTs. Both PTs and PTAs may teach patients and caregivers on a wide range of topics including special techniques for walking and transfers – moving from one location or position to another, for example from a wheelchair to a car, or lying down to sitting up.

Social workers evaluate the social and emotional factors affecting ill and disabled individuals and provide counseling. They also help patients and their family members identify available community resources.

Speech language pathologists work to develop and restore the speech of individuals with communication disorders; usually these disorders are the result of traumas such as surgery or stroke. Speech therapists also help retrain patients in breathing, swallowing, and muscle control.

Occupational therapists (OTs) and Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants (COTAs) help individuals who have physical or developmental problems that prevent them from performing the general activities of daily living (ADLs). OTs instruct patients on using specialized rehabilitation techniques and equipment to improve their function in tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, and basic household routines.

Dietitians provide counseling services to individuals who need professional dietary assessment and guidance to properly manage an illness or disability.

Paying for WellStar Homecare

WellStar Homecare Services are generally paid for by insurance companies or government programs. We accept a variety of insurance plans, worker’s compensation and most government plans including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. Please contract Central Intake at 770-792-1660 for help with insurance eligibility.