Mental Health Services for Children and Adults

Little boy with Down syndrome having fun in the swimming pool

M&Y Mental Health Care provides Community Living Support (CLS) services and/or Respite Care services to individuals living with developmental disabilities, adults/youth with mental illness and/or children with serious emotional disturbance.

Our services are provided either in the home or in the community when community integration is an identified goal. CLS facilitates an individual’s independence, productivity, and promotes inclusion and participation in the community. M&Y Mental Health and CLS services focus on helping your loved one to:

  • Gain independence and skill development related to activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as bathing, eating, dressing, personal hygiene, household chores, shopping for food, money management, transportation to and from community activities and safety skills
  • Improve sensory motor, communication, socialization, and relationship building skills
  • Participate in leisure and community activities such as swimming, movies, shopping, parks, outside play, and restaurants
  • Benefit from in-home activities such as music, television, games and toys assistance, and restroom guidance and observation
  • Learn techniques to improve the quality of life such as education, personal hygiene, feeding and behavior around the kitchen

M&Y understands the challenges of the mental health community. That’s why we utilize a creative and innovative approach to meet the needs of each individual. We work closely with the family to achieve defined goals for their loved one. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff are experts in behavioral plans and are adept at managing various performance problems with challenging individuals.

Respite Care Services

Being a family caregiver can be a rewarding, yet demanding role. As a family caregiver, it’s important to continue to be able to provide the best possible care to your family member by also taking good care of yourself. Setting aside time for your own diet, incorporating exercise, taking breaks, and looking after your emotional well-being is important. Many family caregivers find it difficult to spend time focusing on their own needs when their loved one requires 100 percent of their attention.

Our M&Y Respite Care program can offer you an opportunity to disengage from your family member caregiving activities for a few hours or even a few days allowing you to rest and recharge. Our Respite Care program matches your loved one with one of our kind and compassionate caregivers. Our caregivers can visit for a few hours a day or several times a week to provide family caregivers with the opportunity to run errands, go to work, take a vacation, or simply take a time out. Our caregivers can also aid with a wide variety of home care needs such as helping your loved one with dressing, bathing, and other personal care needs. They can also help around the house performing simple chores and preparing healthy meals.

The Respite Care service that M&Y can provide will deliver the break you so greatly need while placing your loved one in the hands of one of our experienced and loving caregivers. Contact M&Y Care today to learn more!

Frequently Asked Questions on Professional Home Care Agency

Q: What is professional home care?

Professional home care provides nursing and other health-related services in the patient’s home. Services can range from intermittent visits from a registered nurse to round-the-clock care from a live-in caregiver.

Home health care is an important option for patients who cannot leave their homes due to illness or disability, or who prefer to receive care in their own homes. Home health agencies may be private businesses or operated by state or local governments. They offer a wide range of services, including nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, and home health aide services. Some agencies also provide medical equipment and supplies.

A caregiver is someone who provides assistance to another person with activities of daily living (ADLs); instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); or medical, nursing, therapeutic, diagnostic, and other related services for the purpose of making the person’s life more comfortable. Caregivers are not necessarily employed by another party to provide care or services to another person.

Q: What are the benefits of professional home care?

Professional home care offers many benefits to patients who prefer to receive health-related treatment in their own homes. These agencies typically offer a wide range of services under one roof. For example, some agencies may offer physical therapy and occupational therapy in addition to nursing services.

These types of agencies can also deliver equipment and supplies directly to your door so that you don’t have to go out just because you need a wheelchair or another piece of medical equipment.

However, because professional home care agencies typically provide many services under one roof, it’s important for you to talk with multiple agencies and find out exactly which services they offer and how much those services will cost.

If the agency only offers limited services or charges higher fees for those limited services, then you might be better off using a different agency that offers more comprehensive support.

Q: What is Home Health Care?

Home health care provides nursing and other health-related services in the patient’s home. Services can range from intermittent visits from a registered nurse to round-the-clock care from a live-in caregiver.

Home health care is an important option for patients who cannot leave their homes due to illness or disability, or who prefer to receive care in their own homes. Home health agencies may be private businesses or operated by state or local governments. They offer a wide range of services, including nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work and home health aide services. Some agencies also provide medical equipment and supplies.

Q: What is the difference between professional home care and home health care?

Professional home care provides nursing and other health-related services in the patient’s home while Home Health Care offers many options under one roof such as Nursing Services; Physical Therapy; Occupational Therapy; Speech Therapy; Social Work; Home Health Aide Services; Medical Equipment & Supplies Etc..

Home health care is an important option for patients who cannot leave their homes due to illness or disability, while professional home care agencies offer around the clock live in services.

A Home Health Aide (HHA) provides non-skilled services such as meal preparation; light housekeeping; laundry; errands and transportation to appointments; bathing; grooming and dressing; toileting; positioning and repositioning in bed, chair, or wheelchair; helping with prescribed therapies/exercises (e.g., range of motion exercises); and taking vital signs (temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure). HHA’s may also provide emotional support, safety counseling and even companionship.

Caregivers are someone that provides assistance to another person with any of the following activities that are considered to be routine in nature: Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s); Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs); or medical, nursing, therapeutic, diagnostic, and other related services for the purpose of making the person’s life more comfortable.

Q: What is the difference between a Home Health Aide vs Nurse?

A home health aide provides non-skilled services such as meal preparation; light housekeeping; laundry; errands and transportation to appointments; bathing; grooming and dressing; toileting/incontinence care ; positioning/repositioning in bed, chair, or wheelchair; helping with prescribed therapies/exercises (e.g., range motion exercises); taking vital signs (temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure); and providing emotional support, safety counseling and even companionship.  

A nurse is a person who has completed formal training and education in order to be able to provide the highest level of care to patients both in the hospital setting as well as in their homes.

RNs can take on many different roles such as case managers; health care consultants; educators; outreach workers; vocational counselors; community health specialists & Minority Nurse Program Managers (MNP’s).

Q: What is the difference between an LPN vs LVN?

An LPN or Licensed Practical Nurse performs nursing tasks under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. Their job duties include passing meds, wound care, vital signs among other things. An LVN or Licensed Vocational Nurse performs nursing tasks under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. Their job duties are similar to that of an LPN but they can also work in collaboration with registered nurses, doctors and therapists.

Q: What is an official home health agency?

A home health agency is a provider of home care services. Home care generally refers to services that are provided in the home environment, whereas home health care generally refers to services that are provided in a clinical setting, such as a hospital or nursing home.

Home health agencies may be private for-profit businesses, private not-for-profit businesses, or government entities. Caregivers who work for home health agencies may be called home health aides, personal care aides, certified nurse assistants (CNAs), or registered nurses (RNs). Home health providers may also contract with other organizations to provide skilled nursing and therapy services in the patient’s home.

Q: Who regulates home health agencies?

Each State has a different agency that oversees the licensing of Home Health Agencies. In California these are called “Licensed Residential Care Facilities.” The state surveyor from the department of public health surveys each patient’s home for quality assurance and compliance with California regulation governing care in a residential setting. The surveyors also enforce federal regulations under Medicare/Medicaid.

Q: What are some examples of home health professionals?

Home health professionals provide care to patients in their homes. There are many different types of home health professionals, including home care aides, home health aides, personal care assistants, and caregivers. Home health nurses are also a common type of home health professional.

Home care aides help patients with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. Home health aides also provide basic nursing care, such as checking vital signs and giving medication.

Personal care assistants provide more extensive personal care than home health aides, including assisting with mobility and transfers and providing wound care. Caregivers provide hands-on assistance with all aspects of the patient’s daily life, including personal care, nutrition, and medical needs.

Home health nurses are registered nurses who care for patients in their homes. They are trained to provide more comprehensive medical services compared to home health aides or personal care assistants.

Q: What are the different classifications of home health agencies?

There are two official classifications of home health agencies, Medicare certified and Medicare certified through an agreement with state surveyors (also known as approved by survey).

Medicare-certified home health agencies receive payment directly from Medicare; therefore, they must follow federal regulations for reporting required quality measures, staffing levels, and reimbursement rates.

Medicare sanctioned is often called “home health agency through an agreement with state surveyor” (HHA–ASA). These providers do not receive direct payment from Medicare; instead, they contract with Medicare-certified home health agencies to provide services and bill Medicare on the patient’s behalf.

Q: What is a Medicare Certified Home Health Agency?

A Medicare Certified Home Health Agency, also known as a HHCO or FHHCO (Facility of HHCO), provides care for patients who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid. A HHCO can be an individual organization or part of an integrated delivery system such as a hospital or nursing facility. Medicare Certified Agencies must meet certain federal requirements.

Q: Who sets the standards for home health providers?

The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) sets the standards for all types of home health agencies, whether they receive direct payment from Medicare, contract with Medicare-certified agencies, or are Medicare sanctioned.

Q: How much does Medicare home health care cost?

How Medicare pays for HH services is based on time in the program compared to time in an acute-care hospital setting. There are three levels of service codes that describe the benefit paid amount to HH agencies: Skilled, Partially Skilled, and Basic.

Skilled Care means the patient requires skilled nursing care several times each week, such as IV therapy or injections. The maximum reimbursement rate for this level of service is $147 per hour with a minimum four consecutive hours of service at least five days per week (30 hours/week). The first eight hours on any one day do not require a skilled visit and there is no limit on visits provided within a 24-hour period.

Partially Skilled Care means the patient requires several hours of physical or occupational therapy per week, usually three to five times per week for at least four consecutive hours at a time.

The maximum reimbursement rate is $116 per hour with a minimum four consecutive hours of service at least five days per week (30 hours/week). Four hours on any one day do not require a skilled visit and there is no limit on visits provided within a 24-hour period.

Basic Care means the patient does not require therapeutic care other than routine assistance with activities related to daily living such as toileting, personal hygiene, bathing, dressing, meals, household chores and paperwork.

The maximum amount that can be paid for this level of service is $71 per hour with a minimum of four consecutive hours of service at least five days per week (30 hours/week).

Q: How do homecare agencies make money?

There are a few ways that home care agencies can make money. One way is through providing home health care services to patients. Home health care usually involves a nurse or other healthcare professional coming to the patient’s house to provide care and support. This can be helpful for patients who are not able to leave their homes, or who need additional help with activities of daily living.

Another way that home care agencies can make money is by providing caregiver services. Caregivers can help seniors with things like bathing, laundry, grocery shopping, and more. This can be a great option for those who want or need more assistance but don’t want or need to live in a nursing home.

Finally, many home care agencies also specialize in providing services like physical therapy, speech therapy, wound care, IV infusion, or others.

Q: What are the benefits of home healthcare?

One major benefit of receiving home health care is that it provides the patient with more freedom than they would have in a nursing home. This means patients can cook their own food when they want to and go outside for walks if they feel up to it.

Another benefit of home health care includes lower costs than other types of long term care. Since you can receive different levels of support depending on your needs rather than an all-or-none kind of service, seniors often pay less for this type of assisted living than they would otherwise.

Q: What kinds of things do Medicare Certified Agencies provide?

Medicare Certified Agencies provide different types of services depending on the home health care agency. Some agencies may specialize in providing specific types of care, such as wound care or IV therapy. Other agencies may provide general care like personal hygiene, cooking, and light housework. The type of services that an agency offers will depend on their areas of expertise.

Q: What are Medicare Certified Agencies?

Medicare certified agencies are organizations that help people obtain the benefits they’re entitled to under Medicare law. These organizations can be very helpful for older adults who want to obtain home healthcare but aren’t sure how the process works or where to begin.

There are several things you should know about Medicare before enrolling in a Medicare certified agency:

  • You must be receiving home health services in order to receive reimbursement for them.
  • It’s best not to enroll with an agency until you’ve received your first Medicare card so that there are no delays in the process.

Q: How Long Does Medicare pay for home health?

Medicare will pay for up to 100 days of home health care, as long as certain conditions are met.

Home health care is care that you receive in your own home, instead of going to a hospital or nursing home. This type of care can include skilled nursing care, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

To be eligible for Medicare coverage of home health services, you must meet the following conditions:

  • You must be confined to your home and unable to leave without help.
  • Your doctor must certify that you need home health services. 
  • You must have a plan of care approved by Medicare. 
  • You must have been hospitalized or under the care of a doctor for at least 3 days in the last 6 months before beginning home health care.
  • You must meet other criteria based on your situation.

Q: How many home health agencies are in the United States in 2021?

There is no definitive answer to this question as it can depend on a variety of factors, such as the specific definition of “home health agency” used, the location of the agencies, and the methodology of the study.

However, according to a report from 2018, there were approximately 14,000 home health care agencies in operation in the United States. This number has likely increased in the past two years.

Home health care is becoming an increasingly popular option for seniors and other adults who need assistance with activities of daily living but don’t require full-time nursing home care.

Home health agencies provide a wide range of services, from basic personal care to skilled nursing services and therapy.

If you’re looking for quality home health care in your area, you should consider Medicare certified home health agencies. Here’s what you need to know about these organizations and the services they offer:

Q: Home Health Agencies vs. Skilled Nursing Facilities

In some cases, it can be hard for seniors to tell if their loved ones would benefit from a nursing facility or from a higher level of home health care that a home health agency could provide.

There are some key differences between these two types of long-term care facilities that you should keep in mind when making this important decision:

Costs – Home health agencies generally cost less per month than skilled nursing facilities because they don’t offer 24-hour onsite supervision. Since most seniors receive only part-time assistance from the agency, they only have to pay for the care that they receive.

Health – If your loved one is receiving medication management, incontinence care, or other services outside of what could be provided in an assisted living community , you should consider home health.

Skilled nursing facilities are designed to provide around-the-clock medical attention, which means that many seniors with chronic conditions would require additional care during “off hours” if this is their only option.

Convenience – Most people don’t want to give up their homes when they’re receiving long-term care. If your mother doesn’t think she’d do well in a facility, but her doctor recommends she transition into some level of assisted living before moving back home again, then home health care would be a great option.

Q: The Home Health Care Difference

As more and more people turn to home health care as an alternative to nursing homes, the differences between these two types of facilities are becoming even more pronounced.

That’s why it’s critical for seniors and their families to understand what they’re getting when they pay for help from a home health agency. While some agencies provide low-level personal care services, others can offer virtually anything that your loved one needs to stay healthy outside of 24/7 monitoring by trained professionals.

However, you should keep in mind that Medicare will only cover 100 days of this type of service per calendar year. This means that if your senior loved one requires long-term care beyond this point, you’ll likely need to find a skilled nursing facility.

Q: Is Home Health Right for Your Loved One?

If your loved one is currently receiving long-term care in their home , it can be frustrating to know that they no longer have the stamina, safety awareness, or physical ability required to remain at home without professional help.

However, before you start looking into other options, you should consider whether home health care through an agency might actually be the best solution. Some of the conditions that can necessitate this type of move include:

  • Difficulty getting around – If your loved one needs part-time assistance with activities of daily living like bathing or dressing, then they would likely benefit from a higher level of care than what’s provided by home health agencies . If you’re only looking for help with a few tasks, though, home health care might be a great option.
  • Inability to eat or take medication safely – If your loved one is unable to get around on their own and doesn’t have anyone who can assist them when they need to eat or take their medications, then they should consider senior living options that include full-time nursing care.
  • High risk of severe illness – The primary goal of home health agencies is to prevent seniors from becoming so ill that they require 24/7 medical supervision.

However, if your loved one has already had several hospital stays in the past year due to high blood pressure or pneumonia, then it might be safer for them to receive this level of attention at all times.