Home health care is commonly used After hospital discharge (postacute care), although hospitalization is not a prerequisite, particularly for older patients Home health care can also be used for Patients with conditions that require many days of hospitalization each year (medically complex care) Medically stable patients with severe functional impairment (long-term care) Sometimes patients with acute or chronic problems Sometimes patients who are dying (end-of-life care) Home health care is being increasingly used to meet the demand for long-term care.