Home Care: A Major Partner for Tackling Health Disparities
Home care is uniquely positioned as a model to address health care disparities. Disparities are defined as "differences in health outcomes among different groups of people."
In many instances, home care providers are the main conduit between patients and their physicians and other providers. They offer special care training and assignment, including language and cultural competencies.
What's more, in-home telehealth interventions are designed to support the clinician’s work addressing disparity-prone conditions such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, mental health, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and others.
Buffalo Business First
Details WNY Home Care Labor Shortages
Citing our annual finance report, HCA notes: “Our data shows that some of the shortages that exist are having an impact on starting care; hospitals’ need to discharge patients; and agencies not being able to always admit the patient or be able to provide services in a timely basis.”
All of this points to the need for a comprehensive approach addressing the workforce crisis in home care, as advanced by HCA in
S.1359
and
S.1420
and other solutions previously shared with the Legislature.
Vehicle Incentive Program a Model for Recruitment, Retention
Home Health Care News
reports on a new pilot program at
Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester
which provides vehicles to caregivers for use in their field work visiting patients and for personal use. “Although the leasing pilot comes at a cost to VNSW, it’s worth it to potentially improve upon recruitment and retention, while also ensuring caregivers traveling in rural areas have vehicles that meet their needs,” says the report, citing vehicle wear and tear as a major staff concern that VNSW is working to address.
Communication Relay from Hospital to Home: Patient Care Implications and IT/Infrastructure Solutions
A recent study in the
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
demonstrates exactly why
integrated medical records and infrastructure support for home care are so vital
.
Its survey sample finds that 60% of home health workers believe they do not receive enough information from hospitals to properly treat patients who are discharged home; however, almost all respondents (96%) said access to shared health records would improve this important care coordination work.
This study provides yet further evidence why state policymakers must include proportionate investment in home care infrastructure technology through the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program and other means.
A seamless relay of patient care information helps reduce errors, ensures clear post-discharge instructions and clinical status information for the best possible care and outcomes.
