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Selecting The Right Home Health Agency
As the population of the nation ages, more people are finding themselves in what has been called the "sandwich generation". They are simultaneously responsible for caring for their aging parents as well as their own children. They are "sandwiched" in between these two responsibilities. Chances are a significant number will be making some major health care decisions on behalf of parents-sometimes with their input and sometimes without, as necessity dictates.
As the population of the nation ages, more people are finding themselves in what has been called the “sandwich generation”. They are simultaneously responsible for caring for their aging parents as well as their own children. They are “sandwiched” in between these two responsibilities. Chances are a significant number will be making some major health care decisions on behalf of parents-sometimes with their input and sometimes without, as necessity dictates.
If this situation describes you, then you’ll be glad you’ve found this article. One of the first things you’ll want to do is make certain you’ve considered a qualified home health agency as a solution to your loved one’s health care issue, instead of a nursing home or care center. It is almost universally true that patients will have better outcomes when they can be cared for in their own homes.
Qualified home health agencies will typically offer a wide variety of care services, from simple daily assistance with tasks such as bathing, fixing meals and light housework, to full-time skilled nursing and even hospice care. Other home health agencies are quite limited in their services. It’s a good idea to select a home health agency that can provide the additional services your loved one may need in the future.
As your parent or loved one ages, it may become more difficult for them to perform their daily routine. If you have chosen well, you’ll be comforted knowing that your home health provider can continue to provide care. You will spare your family member the stress of moving to a care facility or getting used to new care providers.
Family Home Care & Hospice (FHC) headquartered in Spokane, WA is an excellent example of the type of home health agency that can provide the breadth of services needed to accommodate the patient’s increasing needs.
“It has been our purpose from the beginning to offer a range of services which would allow us to continue with patients as long as possible,” explained Michael Nowling, FHC’s President. “Every evidence indicates that outcomes are more positive for the patient and the family if care can be effectively provided in the home.”
Nowling and the FHC staff must know a little bit about these things. They have been recognized by Medicare as among the best 1 percent of home health agencies in the state of Washington. The same Medicare analysis put them in the top 3 percent of home health agencies in the country. Since the recognition is based largely on patient outcomes, the stated goal of keeping patients in their homes as long as possible seems to indeed create the conditions for better patient response. Medicare’s database of information on home health agencies and their reported patient outcomes can be accessed at http://www.medicare.gov/HHCompare/home.asp. It would be advisable to log on and look at the corresponding data for any home health agency you may be considering.
Most home health agencies have a standard schedule of services, but it is also important for you to ask about any specialized services the agency may provide. You may never need any of these more rare specialties, but in the even you do, you will have the confidence of knowing they are available through your current provider. Types of services in this category may include enteral therapy, wound care specialists or primary care medical services. Be certain to ask your home health agency if these or other specialized services are provided.
A constant battle in any home health agency is recruiting and maintaining qualified personnel. It is critical for you to explore the home health agency’s policies for background checks and on-going employee education and training.
“We often remark that it’s really hard to get a job here,” noted Nowling, “but we think that’s the way it should be. FHC is a wonderful organization particularly because of how selective we are in the people we hire. Our hiring practices result in a staff of people who are committed to excellence and high standards of professional conduct. They work hard for our patients and they tend to stay with us for a long time. This is great news for our patients and their families because this results in consistently better outcomes. It’s one of the reasons we are rated so highly by Medicare.”
As important as finding and keeping good people is to your positive experience with a home health agency, it is equally important to make sure the agency has an aggressive program in place to keep their staff trained and up to date with the latest techniques and practices. Find out how they train and educate their staff.
“Advances in technology have brought highly specialized medical equipment into the home,” Nowling continued. “It is the responsibility of a good home health agency to see that employees are continually kept abreast of the latest developments in care.”
It goes without saying that insurance coverage is a critical consideration in your home health agency selection process. Most agencies accept Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance, but it is always best to ask specific questions not only of your potential home health agency, but also of your insurance company. Combing through the legalese of your insurance policy may not always get your question answered. It is often better to simply ask a customer service representative at your insurance carrier.
If you haven’t been taking notes as you read, here is a handy checklist:
Find a qualified home health agency or two for your list
Determine what their standard services will be
Find out what, if any, specialized services they offer
Visit the Medicare website to check out and compare your selections: http://www.medicare.gov/HHCompare/home.asp
Ask about their hiring and screening policies
Ask what kind of staff training and education programs they have
Find out what insurance coverages are applicable
Making critical decisions about health care is part of your role in the “sandwich generation”. Make certain you do your best to consider all the available options, including putting qualified home health agencies on your evaluation list. Your family member will be glad you did—and so will you.