November is National Home Care Month

As the elderly population continues to grow and individuals desire to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible, home health care will continue to be a driving force in health care delivery in the next century.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care is a locally-based home health care agency serving Allamakee and the surrounding counties. Registered nurses and certified home care aides travel the Allamakee County area and beyond to offer assistance to individuals who wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible, or need some assistance while they are recovering from an illness or recent surgery, oftentimes after being hospitalized.

Cheri White of Waukon has been receiving home health services since 2013 following a significant health event.

“Home health services make it possible for me to safely remain in my own home. I receive both skilled nursing and home health aide services each week and this assistance helps me remain independent at home,” states White. “The care I received during my recent hospitalization at VMH was exceptional. When I was discharged, they began to provide therapy in my home which allowed me to build up strength in the comfort of my own home.”

White was recently interviewed by the Allamakee County Historical Society Museum & Genealogy Research Center regarding her many years serving in the United States Air Force. She asserts that her interview would not have been possible without the aid of her home health team, the treatment she received from speech therapy and her wonderful family.

White declares, “It takes a village!” when describing her home health care team.

Home health care has proven to be cost effective in that nursing home placement can often be postponed if there is in-home assistance available.

“Home care services cost only a fraction of hospitalization and nursing home placement and we can successfully care for these comparable health problems right in the home,” states Lisa Moose, RN, Community and Home Care Director.  “Besides these positive factors, people are usually happier and heal more quickly at home.”

Skilled home care services offered by the registered nurses at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care include assisting adults with their medications, providing wound care, providing catheter and colostomy care, overseeing rehabilitation in-home programs, assessing blood pressures, performing blood tests, providing IV therapy, and instructing the patients regarding any other health problems. RN staff are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help with urgent needs that may arise.

Home Care Aides can provide assistance with personal cares including bathing, dressing, exercises, and support with other activities necessary to allow individuals to remain safely in the comfort of their own homes.

Rehabilitation within the home is also available through Community and Home Care. Licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists can evaluate, develop and implement a complete rehabilitation program which can include exercises, strengthening, improvements in ambulation, and assistance with speech problems. In addition, many other public services are offered by Community and Home Care such as blood pressure screenings, immunization clinics, and health promotion visits.

Anyone who is interested in receiving home care services should contact Veterans Memorial Hospital Community & Home Care at 563-568-5660 or consult with their physician who can order these services for them.