What Is Home Health Care and Who Does It Benefit

READ: Beverly Flannagan recovers with innovative virtual home care.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Innovative Virtual Care program empowers patients and cuts hospitalizations in half. LEARN MORE: Holy Cross Home-based Care Services

What is Home Health Care?

Home care is professional health care and services you receive in the safety and comfort of your home. The care is provided by a team of clinical professionals who, under the direction of your physician, can treat and help you manage your illness and medications. The goal of home care is to empower patients to get well and back to their everyday living activities – all in the comfort of home.

Who Provides Home Health Care?

Every person has different needs, so home care services are typically covered by professionals from a broad range of disciplines. At Holy Cross Home Care and Hospice, for example, we have registered and licensed practical nurses; certified home health aides; social workers; and physical, occupational and speech therapists to meet each individual's physical, medical and emotional needs.

Who Does Home Care Benefit?

Home care can be beneficial for people at different points in their health journey:

• The elderly who may not be able to get to their doctor's office and need help with primary care, taking their medications or managing daily activities like bathing or dressing.
• People who are chronically ill with conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illnesses and cancer. In-home caregivers help administer medications and manage symptoms
• People who are recovering from surgery. A surgical procedure such as joint replacement is often followed by a period of recovery that requires regaining strength and movement. Post-surgical home care services may include physical or occupational therapists or home health aides who help you recover and manage the responsibilities you’re unable to do.
• New mothers. One of the greatest feelings any family may experience is taking home their new baby for the first time. But sometimes new moms need help, especially if their newborn has continuing medical needs. Home care services for new moms can provide a range of services, such as household tasks, lactation consultations, and post-delivery checkups for both baby and mom.

What is Virtual Home Care?

At Holy Cross Home Care and Hospice, we're excited about a new virtual care program called Home Care Connect. In addition to home visits by our nurses and therapists, patients use wireless tools, including a 4G-enabled tablet with voice and text instructions, a scale, a pulse oximeter and a blood pressure monitor, to stream information to our Virtual Care Center, staffed 24/7 by specially-trained nurses. The nurses respond in real time to changes in blood pressure, weight or health symptoms. This in-the-moment monitoring helps address problems while they are small and prevents unnecessary trips to the ER or hospital stays Patients also can connect with a nurse day or night using two-way video and even loop in their physician or loved ones. The feedback from patients has been that using Home Care Connect gives them peace of mind.

How Can You Learn More About Home Care?

Visit HolyCrossHealth.org/Home-based-care to learn about the wide range of services available to people in the comfort of their homes. Our home health agency, Holy Cross Home Care and Hospice, is state-licensed, Medicare-certified and Community Health Accreditation Program-accredited, and we accept Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial health insurance. Holy Cross Health Private Home Services, which provides assistance with personal care needs, is licensed as a residential service agency by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Healthcare Quality.