Medicare will cover home health care for 30 days, if I remember right. My mom was discharged from a hospital stay last February with an order for home health care. I don't know if you have to be hospitalized with it as part of the discharge plan but bet someone else will know.
I am starting Hospice on Monday and will have an aide 5-days a week to shower, dress, fix breakfast, change bed, etc. This is all covered by Medicare. They will keep me on their caseload as long as they can document a decline every three months. That shouldn't be a problem since daily I am finding things changing.
However, before going that route you must be sure you have any assistive devices you want. If you plan on getting a peg, a powerchair, a trache, etc. you need them before going on hospice. If you are on without them you need to go off hospice for Medicare to pay. Our Hospice, Compassionate Care, will put you back on afterwards if you want.
Since I am not planning on a trach or feeding tube and already have a powerchair, I have no problem. The gal who signed mother up spent time explaining things to me. She said their goal is to keep me comfortable, releave the primary caregiver, and make sure I can do everything I want to do - trips etc. while I am able. They will even arrange for a hospice aide to be available if I am somewhere else over night. (That was a big one for me since I want to go to New Mexico in February to see friends.)
Good luck,
