Intermittent Skilled Nursing Will County, IL
It’s the second day home from the hospital. There are three new pill bottles on the counter, a wound dressing that needs changing, and a daughter in Joliet who isn’t sure she’s doing any of it right.
Choice Care Home Health provides intermittent skilled nursing at home in Will County, IL. A registered nurse visits on a schedule your doctor orders to treat, teach and watch for changes, so you don’t have to guess. We are a Medicare-certified, ACHC-accredited home health agency based in Orland Park.
Call (708) 489-0123 or contact our care team to ask about a referral.
In Short
What Is Intermittent Skilled Nursing?
In short: Intermittent skilled nursing is part-time nursing care at home, ordered by a doctor. A nurse handles medical tasks like wound care, medicine management and health checks, and teaches the family. Medicare may cover it when the home health rules are met.
Skilled nursing is care performed by or under the supervision of a licensed nurse to treat an illness or injury. Intermittent means the visits are planned around specific needs, not constant care. It is not 24-hour nursing, and it is not the same as help with bathing or meals.
Our main intermittent skilled nursing page explains the program. This page is for families in Will County.
Nursing Services
What Can a Home Health Nurse Do?
Skilled nursing covers medical tasks that need a nurse’s training. Medicare resources, including Medicare Interactive and CGS Medicare, list services like these.
| Nursing service | What it means | What it can look like at home |
|---|---|---|
| Observation and assessment | Checking how your health is changing | Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, weight and symptoms reviewed at each visit |
| Medication management | Making sure medicines are taken safely | Reviewing new prescriptions after discharge, setting up a system, watching for side effects |
| Wound care | Treating surgical wounds, pressure sores and other wounds | Cleaning, dressing changes, and teaching the family what to watch for |
| Injections and teaching | Giving shots, or teaching you to give them | Diabetes injections taught step by step until you feel confident |
| Catheter and ostomy care | Care for tubes and ostomies (openings on the belly for waste) | Changes, skin checks and teaching |
| Tube feeding | Feeding through a tube when ordered | Setup, safety checks and family training |
| Oxygen and medical gases | Safe use of home oxygen | Checking equipment use and teaching safety rules |
| Care plan management | Keeping the doctor, therapists and family on the same plan | Updates to the doctor when something changes |
Not every person needs every service. Your doctor’s orders decide what is included.
WHO IT HELPS
Who Is Intermittent Skilled Nursing For?
Nursing visits often help adults in Will County who are:
Coming home from the hospital or a rehab stay
Recovering from surgery, with a wound or new activity limits
Living with a long-term condition, such as CHF (congestive heart failure), COPD (chronic lung disease) or diabetes
Managing many new medicines and unsure what to take when
Know the Difference
Skilled Nursing or Home Health Aide: What's the Difference?
| Skilled nurse | Home health aide | |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Licensed nurse | Trained aide working under the care plan |
| Tasks | Medical care, teaching, assessment | Bathing, dressing, personal care |
| Medicare | Covered part-time when rules are met | Covered only while you also get skilled care |
Read more in skilled nursing vs home health aide, or learn about our home health aides.
How Does Skilled Nursing at Home Work in Will County?
- Get a doctor’s order. Ask your doctor or hospital discharge planner whether home health nursing fits.
- Call us. We review the order and your insurance, and explain what to expect.
- Schedule the first visit. Care often begins within a few days of referral, depending on orders and our schedule.
- Nursing assessment. The nurse reviews your health, medicines, home safety and goals.
- Plan of care. Your doctor approves the plan, including visit frequency and goals.
- Visits and teaching. The nurse treats, teaches and reports changes to your doctor.
- Review. The team checks progress and updates the plan until skilled care is no longer needed.
Does Medicare Cover Intermittent Skilled Nursing in Will County?
It can. Medicare.gov says you generally need all of these:
- You need part-time or intermittent skilled care.
- You are homebound (leaving home takes a major effort).
- A doctor or allowed provider sees you in person, confirms you need home health, and orders the care.
- A Medicare-certified home health agency provides it.
Medicare says you pay nothing for covered home health services. For covered equipment, such as a hospital bed or walker, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible. Medicare does not cover 24-hour care at home, or personal care when it is the only care you need.
Medicare Interactive says skilled nursing is generally limited to no more than eight hours a day and 28 hours a week, with up to 35 hours a week in some circumstances. Medicare Advantage plans may need approval first or an in-network agency. Eligibility is decided case by case, and we can’t promise coverage.
See our insurance plans page, how to qualify for Medicare home health care in Illinois, and our guide to Medicare coverage for home health care and aides in Illinois. If you need care beyond Medicare, read how to pay for home health care without Medicare.
Need Help Starting?
Call (708) 489-0123 or send a message. We’ll walk through the next step with you.
One Team
One Team for Nursing and Therapy
Your nurse can work with your other home health services when your doctor orders them. In Will County, that can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology and medical social work. One team means one plan, and fewer calls for you to make.
Home Health Care in Will County
Nursing, therapy, aides and social work coordinated under one plan of care for Will County families, with visits scheduled around your doctor's orders.
Physical Therapy in Will County
Our physical therapy services help patients regain strength, mobility, and function through customized exercise programs and therapeutic techniques.
Occupational Therapy in Will County
Our occupational therapy services focus on improving patients' ability to perform daily activities, enhancing their independence and quality of life.
Speech & Language Pathology in Will County
Our speech and language pathology services address communication and swallowing disorders, helping patients improve their speech, language, and cognitive skills.
Home Health Aides (HHAs) in Will County
Our dedicated Home Health Aides (HHAs) ensure comfort and independence in the home environment by providing compassionate and personalized support.
Medical Social Work in Will County
Our medical social work services offer emotional support, resource coordination, and counseling to help patients and families navigate the challenges of healthcare.
Service Area
Where We Provide Skilled Nursing in Will County
We serve families across Will County and the southwest suburbs, including communities such as Joliet, Lockport, Homer Glen, Mokena, New Lenox, Frankfort, Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Plainfield. Please call to confirm your address is in our area.
Many Will County families need more than nursing. When your doctor orders it, our team also provides home health care in Will County and physical therapy in Will County as part of the same plan.
Our Cook County service areas include Orland Park, Palos Heights and Oak Lawn.
Joliet
Lockport
Homer Glen
Mokena
New Lenox
Frankfort
Bolingbrook
Romeoville
Plainfield
Referrals
For Discharge Planners and Case Managers
Sending a referral for skilled nursing? Please include:
- The doctor’s order and the date of the in-person visit
- The diagnosis, wound or treatment details, and medication list
- Notes on why the patient is homebound
- Insurance information and the discharge date
Call (708) 489-0123 or fax (708) 489-2399. We will confirm receipt and coordinate the start of care with the patient and family.
FAQs
Skilled Nursing in Will County: Frequently Asked Questions
Intermittent skilled nursing means a licensed nurse visits on a planned schedule, not around the clock. The nurse handles medical tasks such as wound care, medicine management, injections and health checks, and teaches you and your family. A doctor orders the care and approves the plan. It is not 24-hour nursing.
It can. Medicare covers part-time or intermittent skilled nursing at home when you are homebound, a doctor orders it, and a Medicare-certified agency provides it. You pay nothing for covered home health services. Eligibility is decided case by case, and Medicare Advantage plans may have extra rules.
A skilled nurse is a licensed professional who provides medical care, such as wound care and medicine management, and teaches the family. A home health aide helps with personal care like bathing and dressing. Medicare covers aide visits only while you also receive skilled nursing or therapy.
Yes. Home health nursing starts with a doctor's order, and for Medicare the doctor or allowed provider must see you in person first. Ask your doctor or hospital discharge planner. We can review the order with you, check your insurance, and explain the next steps before the first visit.
Visit frequency is set in your plan of care, based on your doctor's orders and your needs. Some people need more visits at the start and fewer later. The nurse reviews progress and updates the plan with your doctor, and visits end when skilled care is no longer needed.
Care often begins within a few days of discharge, but timing depends on the doctor's orders, the referral and our schedule. Ask the discharge planner to send the referral before you leave the hospital, and tell us the discharge date so we can plan the first visit.
We serve families across Will County and the southwest suburbs, including Joliet, Lockport, Homer Glen, Mokena, New Lenox, Frankfort, Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Plainfield. Service areas can depend on your address, so call (708) 489-0123 and we will confirm that your home is in our area.
Talk to Choice Care Home Health About Skilled Nursing
Call (708) 489-0123 or contact our care team. Choice Care Home Health is a Medicare-certified, ACHC-accredited home health agency based in Orland Park, IL, serving families in Will County and nearby communities.
This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Follow your doctor’s and nurse’s instructions. Call 911 for a medical emergency.
