As another year draws to a close, the Home Health Blog is taking a moment to reflect and review. As we tallied up the posts most read, liked, and shared this year, some clear themes started to emerge. Here’s a collection of our best-loved entries from 2015.
Guest Contributors
We were fortunate to have a few guests lend their insights to the Home Health Blog in 2015, and readers showed their appreciation by making these some of the most-read and most-shared of the year. One patient shared her accomplishments, a nurse brought back an uplifting message from a mission trip overseas, and a Residential executive opened up about an ‘it happened to me!’ moment that underlines the vitality of careful medication review by an expert.
Residential Patient Story: ‘They Helped Make the Impossible Possible’
One of the most popular posts of 2015, Residential Home Health patient Jana shared her inspiring story: ‘The opportunities I have embraced because of [my augmentative communication device] were close seconds to the friendships I would have never made if it was not for the doubt that filled those teachers’ minds on the first day of my junior year of high school…. Anxiously I await for the next journey in my life, hoping that I can touch as many people’s lives who have touched mine, in my own way. Words cannot express the magnitude of the force that Residential Home Health was for me in the process.’
Residential Staff Story: ‘The Importance of Medication Reconciliation’
In August, Mario Nanos, Executive Vice President of Sales for Residential Home Health, shared his story of a medication near-miss, in his own words: ‘Timely medication reconciliation matters because mistakes do happen….I’m quite a bit younger than your typical geriatric patient. I don’t have cognitive issues (although my wife says I do). I do have adequate caregiver support, and I even work in health care, as co-owner of a home health agency. But this classic medication reconciliation error still happened to me!’
Home Health Care on a Mission: ‘The Care Is Indeed Universal’
In May, Residential triage nurse Amy shared her global perspective on compassionate patient care: ‘My daughter and I went on a medical mission trip in March to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with about 40 other medical professionals….The experience far exceeded my expectations. What I learned is that my nursing skills — ones that have been fine-tuned in the home health setting — are international skills.’
Awards and Accolades
Making patients healthy and happy at home is a reward unto itself, but it always feels good when hard work and dedication is acknowledged. In 2015, Residential maintained its streak of recognition for its patient care and outcomes (HomeCare Elite™; third consecutive year), and for its reputation as a leading healthcare employer in the state of Michigan (Detroit Free Press Top Workplace; fifth consecutive year).
Residential Home Health Named a 2015 HomeCare Elite Top Agency
In November, Residential Home Health was proud to learn that its Illinois agency had been designated as a HomeCare Elite™ Top Agency for the third consecutive year, and for seven of the past ten years. The prestigious HomeCare Elite™ recognizes the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified home health agencies in the United States. Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures in quality outcomes, best practice (process measure) implementation, patient experience (Home Health CAHPS®), quality improvement and consistency, and financial performance.
Detroit Free Press Names Residential a 2015 Top Workplace in Michigan
Also in November, Residential Home Health and Residential Hospice were named as winners of the Detroit Free Press Top Workplace award for the fifth consecutive year. The top health care company of its size, Residential placed eighth overall in the ‘Large’ category (500+ employees). Top Workplaces are chosen based solely on employee feedback; among other high marks, Residential received special recognition for its scores in the category of ‘Meaningfulness.’
Remarkable Patient Stories
The stories of patient saves and successes in 2015 were too numerous to fully list. We had follow-up phone calls that led to much-needed care for fall prevention. We had a nurse arrive at a patient’s home just in time to shut down a dangerous financial scam in progress. Whether on site in the home or remotely with Residential Nurse Alert, the experts at Residential Home Health were there for their patients time and again. Here are three of our most popular patient stories of the year.
‘Eureka!’ — Turning the Corner toward Disease Self-Management
It happens time and again: We hear good advice, or we know what’s best for us, but we can’t make the change. Then out of the blue, something falls into place, and everything becomes clear. For one Residential Home Health patient, managing her heart disease and related symptoms had previously proved to be more than she could handle. But when RN Case Manager Julia entered the picture, her attention to education and empowerment inspired a life-changing ‘aha moment.’
Adaptive Solutions Protect and Promote Longer Aging in Place
For long-lasting aging in place, seniors may need to adapt equipment or alter routines to preserve safety and independence. When a Residential Home Health patient had serious concerns about his ability to remain at home, occupational therapist Julie set him and his caregiver wife up with safer, easier alternatives. Her research and problem-solving not only addressed their immediate issues, but would also ensure greater ability and peace of mind for years to come.
Valuable Caregiver Training Boosts Patient Safety and Capability
Having someone to lean on, literally and figuratively, is an important stepping stone between restricted movement and independent ambulation. For Residential Home Health physical therapist Allison, caring for her patient after surgery also extended to training for the patient’s primary caregiver. By helping the pair work safely and efficiently together, she enabled incredible strides in her patient’s function and capability at home.
With this, our final post for 2015, we wish you a Happy New Year! Stay with us in 2016 for more support and success stories, helping you and your loved ones continue aging in place in health and safety.
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