The @aarp @unitedhealthcare House Calls nurse came by last month and said she could see Grandma was being well taken care of. If your loved one has an opportunity for a nurse to come check on them, even if it’s just once a year, I highly recommend it.
At first, when my grandma got the announcements in the mail, I just scoffed at them. I didn’t really see the value in something so ephemeral as an annual visit (Now I laugh as I see how quickly a year can pass!). However, after the first visit, I made a point of paying attention to the mail that comes from United Healthcare/AARP regarding her health care, because it turns out that sometimes it is actually helpful!
These House Calls are great, because since they are coming to see you, you don’t have to worry about other patients competing for the nurse’s attention. The visits are individualized. Even the scheduling of the appointment is customer driven. When I requested to be present as her primary caregiver and authorized representative, they rescheduled for a more convenient time.
Both of the nurses who came out were great. The minimum requirement for their staff is that they be a nurse practitioner, so you know the person who’s coming to your house is qualified. The nurse provides resources to learn more about issues and counseling on things that come up during the visit. The nurse can reinforce things that the doctor said or answer quick questions about things that are are going on (ie: my grandma had a rash, and she was able to help us find an OTC solution for it, as opposed to rushing off to the doctor). This time, the nurse who came happened to be a long-distance caregiver for her mother, so she naturally had a lot of good experiences and ideas to share with us.
At the conclusion of their visit, they give you a form to hand to your doctor about things to discuss or take action on.
Sure, being proactive and staying on your health is great and all, but the best thing about the House Calls might be the schwag! She got this collapsible tote bag (above) this year and the nifty tote bag pictured below last year . Both times, they sent her a $15 gift card for Wal-mart afterwards just for completing the visit.
This service is offered through United Healthcare’s AARP Medicare Advantage plan.
Learn more about it at https://www.aarpmedicareplans.com/health/uhc-house-calls
