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HOME CARE UPDATE May 2003 Caring for patients in Fairfield, Litchfield & New Haven Counties |
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Our Telehealth program continues to grow and is setting a new standard for home care! The daily monitoring of patient vital signs using our telemonitor is offered at no charge to patients who are clinically appropriate and on service with VNS
- Since we began using this clinical tool last July, we have monitored over 150 patients. It has improved our ability to detect changes in patients' conditions and enabled us to intervene when a problem is detected, preventing avoidable emergencies. (See attached patient story!)
- Knowing that it can help prevent costly re-hospitalizations, several hospitals have begun specifying the telemonitor for their discharged patients, particularly those with CHF.
- Anthem and CIGNA have become the first managed care companies to reimburse VNS for telemonitoring as part of a patient's skilled care plan. In addition, Anthem has also provided reimbursement for a patient who requires just telemonitoring services as a way to monitor an ongoing condition. If you have a managed care patient with another plan, who you think can benefit from daily telemonitoring, please call Mary Beth at 203.366.3821 and we will pursue with their insurer.
We have taken on our first two private pay telemonitoring clients. Daily monitoring is available for $12/day to individuals who are not on skilled service with VNS, but who wish to have the peace of mind of a daily review by our nurse.
- Our Hospice at Home™ program has hired a Bereavement Coordinator. Sue Henry, MSW will ensure that compassionate bereavement care is provided to the families and caregivers of our hospice patients.
- One of the most important objectives that we strive for is helping our patients to become active participants in their plan of care. Recently, VNS has made available an on-line library of 1,500 full color patient teaching aides, available in English and Spanish to our nurses and therapists. Each of these can be customized for individual patients, providing them with personalized instructions to help them achieve their clinical goals.
- We have hired a Wound Care Specialist to work with our nurses in the Southbury to Torrington areas. Cherie Sapia, RN, CWOCN is certified in wound, ostomy and continence nursing and will be consulting on difficult cases and providing ongoing education for our staff. Cherie is also certified in Gerontology.
Our Core Services:
Partners in Care: our sister agency provides private duty home health aide care on live-in, sleep-in and 8-hour shift arrangements. These services are available in the Greater Bridgeport/ Lower Fairfield County, Southbury and Valley areas. You can reach them at 203.378.8444. Ask for Linda Melodia, RN, BSN, Administrator.
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Specialty Services*:
*Available at some of our branches. |
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