Obtaining and using equipment and supplies:
- If the senior has been recently hospitalized, has the hospital discharge planner helped determine and order the proper equipment? Have all equipment and product options been discussed?
- If home care is provided by a certified agency, has a nurse or other supervisor assessed the needs of the older person and arranged for delivery of needed equipment and supplies?
- If the senior is returning home from a rehabilitation facility, has a physical therapist evaluated the need for home equipment and coordinated the ordering?
- Have you (or another caregiver) followed up to assure that the proper equipment and supplies are ordered and delivered in a timely manner?
- Have instructions for use of equipment been provided to and understood by all caregivers? Have all questions been addressed?
- Does the equipment require any home modification to support its use such as additional electrical power?
- If the need for additional or other equipment and supplies arises, does the caregiver know how to obtain them?
- Assessing the appropriateness of items of equipment and/or supplies:
- How many hours per day will the equipment be used? Can the equipment provided withstand the use it will receive?
- Will the elderly person be able to operate any medical device independently? If not, will a caregiver be available when needed?
- Is rental or purchase a better option? Is customization necessary?
- Are there assistive devices/gadgets available that can provide comfort and convenience to both the senior and the caregiver? Will the insurer provide any payment for these devices/gadgets?
- Are "disease-specific" devices needed? If so, have they been prescribed by a doctor?
- Has the caregiver researched the best prices when supplies are an out-of-pocket expense? Even if the insurer pays, does an out-of-network vendor provide better value and/or greater convenience?
- Are the senior's needs and comfort periodically assessed?
- Handling a dispute with the insurer or vendor:
- Has the caregiver made frequent and careful inquiries?
- Has all communication (in person, phone, mail, email) been well documented?
- If the insurer disputes the need for particular equipment or supplies or rejects a claim for a more costly but medically justified item, will an appeal be necessary?
- Does the caregiver know how to file an appeal?
Developed by, and made available with the permission of John J. Connolly, Ed.D., President and CEO of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., America's "trusted" source for information on top doctors and quality healthcare.