Sometimes people get confused with the term Home Health Agency in Utah. Utah requires that companies providing in-home care be licensed as a home health agency. Home health agencies are divided into two types: Home Health Agency and Home Health - Personal Care Service Agency. Both types of agency are licensed to provide health care services in patients' homes. Both types of agency are required to ensure that all employees pass a criminal background check. They must also have policies and procedures in place that describe the type and scope of services that they provide. The Utah State requirements for Home Health and Personal Care Agencies are found in the Utah Administrative Code, R432-700 (http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r432/r432-700.htm).Home Health Agencies provide skilled services and are often paid through Medicare. Their services must be ordered by a physician. Home Health Agencies provide a broad range of medical services in the home, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, wound care and medication management among others. Typically, services are ordered by a physician for 60 days. That order for service may be reauthorized by the physician if the patient is continuing to make progress. Home Health Agencies typically do not provide long-term care in the home. Thats where Personal Care Agencies come in.Personal Care Agencies provide assistance with activities of daily living (ADL's); they do not provide any therapies or wound care. Personal Care Agencies provide services similar to that provided by Assisted Living Facilities, including assistance with all ADL's, cooking, cleaning and outings. Services are generally paid for by the client, just like an Assisted Living Facility. Some Personal Care Service Agencies accept Medicaid to assist disabled patients who need long term assistance in the home. Medicare never pays for this type of service. Personal Care Agencies are a good choice for those seniors who want to live in their homes, but need a little extra help to stay there safely.You can find a listing of Home Health and Personal Care Agencies, with the different services they each provide, on page # 126 of the Seniors Blue Book or on the webat www.SeniorsBlueBook.com.Editors Note: Article Submitted by Kevin Whatcott, owner of Homewatch CareGivers of Utah. He is an attorney and Certified Senior Advisor. Homewatch CareGivers has been caring for seniors in their homes for over 30 years. If you have any questions about home care or other senior issues, give Kevin a call at 801-746-1080

Welcome to Legacy House of Ogden. Across the street from Ogden Regional Hospital, Legacy House of Ogden provides assisted living and memory care services. Our residents enjoy daily activities, restaurant-style dining, beautifully decorated living areas and a variety of apartment floor plans all in a home-like setting.Assisted Living & Memory Care:At Legacy House of Ogden, we believe that the more our residents can be independent, the healthier they are and the better they feel. No matter what stage of life were in, maximizing independence, maintaining dignity and having choices are important. Nevertheless, there comes a time when we all could use a helping hand, even for the most basic daily activities like dressing, bathing, grooming or taking medications. At Legacy House of Ogden, we recognize those times and provide just the right amount of help to meet those needs.Our Personal Touch Culture.Why choose Legacy House of Ogden? Caring for seniors and their families since 1996, Legacy Retirement Communities is a premier provider of senior living services. At Legacy House of Ogden, we distinguish ourselves from others by embracing a Personal Touch Culture that strives to make a heart-to-heart connection with those we serve. We believe in an individuals worth and respect their uniqueness. We personalize our services by knowing our customers through sincere listening, caring service and attention to personal details.Visit today. Wed love to have you over for lunch.

Everyone knows suffering. Often, when we are the most wounded, and we need help the most, we dont know where to get it. Navigating the dizzying medical-care maze can be both time-consuming and confusing.This is where a Patient Advocate comes in. What does a "Patient Advocate" do? The simple answer is that they help people navigate the healthcare system. A Patient Advocate acts as a support structure, and if legally contracted to do so, may act as a liaison between a patient and their Health Care Provider and/or Insurance Company. The Patient Advocate does not compete with your healthcare provider, they offer assistance where the role of physician becomes limited. A Patient Advocate can help alleviate the pain and the frustration that goes with the worry of uncertainty, fear, and the unknown related to health care issues.The Healthcare system is changing dramatically. There are thousands of pages to read to keep up with the changes. To add to the complexity, each insurance plan and each insurance company have different contracts and rules for individual policies. Each insurance company has a different contract and payment schedule with individual hospitals and providers. It is easy to see how we find ourselves in a maze that is difficult if not impossible to navigate. The addition of long waits and runarounds add to this frustration.Do you need a Patient Advocate? Consider hiring an advocate if:You have several medical conditions to follow.You are unable to think clearly. Some people are in shock following a diagnosis. Some medications impact the patients comprehension and concentration, and some conditions are complicated to understand.You have been diagnosed with a progressive or degenerative illness. You have a chronic illness that requires follow up care.You have medical bills that you don't completely understand or have the time or energy to deal with. Each provider bills separately, even within the hospital, and there is a high percentage of bills with errors. An advocate can be a medical bill detective.The need for Patient Advocacy relates to people of all ages and life styles. It doesn't discriminate.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Patricia Horne, a Professional Patient Advocate with Patient Advocate Solutions, and may be reached at 801-698-0919 or by email at pat@PatientAdvocateSolutions.com

A couple months ago, Ray Andrus retired from decades of working for big names in construction. Now he's doing smaller projects for people he's never met and it may be some of the most rewarding work he's ever done."We all need to help each other and perhaps the best help we can give is to those who need the help the most," he said.Andrus, 69, recently responded to a newspaper article asking for volunteers to perform odd jobs at the homes of the elderly and disabled in Davis County. He has committed 20 hours each week to fixing minor electrical problems or leaky faucets, digging up broken sprinklers, replacing light bulbs and getting caught up in a friendly conversation or two.Andrus' commitment was a huge boon to the Do Unto Others program that Rocky Mountain Care Foundation launched this summer. An earlier countywide assessment had revealed large gaps in the services available to the two populations and Rocky Mountain's Dede Fluette was excited to get something started.She had previously worked for similar programs in neighboring counties and continues to be shocked that "someone pays me to do this we just do good deeds and nice things for people."Fluette feels the elderly generation deserves star treatment."They are the most vulnerable and the most deserving population," she said. "It's not like you can say to an 85-year-old woman 'go get a job.' They've kind of put in their time and if we can help them, then that's great."The same is true for the disabled population the program assists, Fluette said."I don't think that just because they can't get up on the roof and fix a swamp cooler that they can't live independently in their own home," she said.The Do Unto Others program in Davis County has a few requirements. Beneficiaries must be living at 150 percent of the federal poverty level, be 60 or older or living with a disability, own their home and live within the boundaries of Davis County. The program teams up carefully screened and experienced volunteers to help with minor home repairs and limited seasonal yard maintenance.For more information contact Rocky Mountain Care Foundation at 801-397-4160Editors Note: This article was submitted by Wendy Leonard. Wendy is a reporter with Deseret News and may be reached at wleonard@deseretnews.com