By Karen Schlater
Let’s say you’ve just been diagnosed with sleep apnea and your doctor has recommended the use of a CPAP machine. Or a parent is discharged from the hospital and needs oxygen in their home. Maybe you are looking into home safety equipment so an elderly person can remain in their home. All of these situations and many more require the services of a home medical supply company. The home medical supply company is part of the overall health care team, providing a vital service that is crucial to your health. Therefore, you should put as much care into choosing your medical supplier as you do in choosing your physician.
Kate Rousey, owner of Heartland Home Medical, says that, “The most important factor to consider is the qualifications and experience level of the staff. Respiratory therapists, for example, are responsible for the setup, education, assessment, and monitoring of the respiratory patients.” The company should be licensed in the State of Illinois and accredited by a governing body, such as, The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. You should also ask how many years the company has been in business and how many years of experience the staff has.
Some other things to consider:
- Is there 24-hour emergency assistance?
- Do they provide instruction, training and support in the proper use of equipment?
- Do they deliver? What is their delivery radius?
- Will they call your home before they deliver? Will they show identification?
- Do they work closely with your physician to insure a smooth transition from the hospital to home?
- Will they follow up on a regular basis to make sure everything is working properly?
- Will they bill Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance companies directly? Are they able to answer questions about qualifications for reimbursement?
- Is the billing done locally or in another state?
- Do they provide service and repair of all rental and owned equipment?
- Do they continually meet with patients and families to assess and monitor needs to insure that care is timely and up-to-date?
- Are they independently owned or nationally owned?
The final consideration should be a friendly, courteous, knowledgeable staff that will answer any questions that you may have. Kate Rousey emphasizes that, “each person has individual needs and should receive individual attention. Your home medical equipment team should know you and do all they can to help you meet your health care goals.”
For more information, you may contact Heartland Home Medical at 309-829-8122. They are located in Constitution Place at 716 E. Empire, Suite 2, next to the Constitution Trail.
Photo credit: Alina555/iStock