By By Sharon White/The Meridian Star
It is not always true that what you don't know can't hurt you, said Wanda Jones, registered nurse and director of Riley Home Health Services.
Vera Downs, an Aldersgate resident, agrees.
Downs said home health services provided by any one of the several agencies in Meridian is like having an extended family. She helped care for her mother in the 1980s when her mother lived alone.
Jones, who has been a home health professional for 25 years, said many people who need home health services do not get them.
Home health services which are paid for by Medicaid, Medicare, Champus and most private health insurance involve professional help in a home setting.
The service also includes assistance from occupational therapists, social workers and home health aides.
Jones said occupational therapists help patients develop short-cuts in their daily activities. With patients who have a disability, an occupational therapist may help them learn other ways to bathe, dress, feed themselves and possibly cook or do light housework.
She said social workers assist the patient and family members to obtain financial help or introduce resource services. Home health aides assist with personal care and meal preparation.
Riley Home Health is an affiliate of Riley Hospital. To learn more about Riley's home health program, call 484-3293.
Sharon White is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at swhite@meridianstar.com.