MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — More than12 million Americans receive home-delivered health care from home health care providers. West Virginia University Hospitals-East and WVUH-East Home Health Care join home health agencies across the nation in celebrating November as National Home Care Month under the theme, “Home Care: Because There is No Place Like Home”
"Caring for the sick, elderly and disabled in their homes is a privilege for us," said Judy Hockman, System Director of Outpatient Clinical Services at WVUH-East Home Health Care. "Home care professionals, volunteers and advances in modern medicine and technology make it increasingly possible for people to stay in their homes.”
Through technological advances, home-delivered health care has grown far beyond basic professional nursing and home care aide services. Today's modern home care agency offers a wealth of home care services. “WVUH-East Home Health Care offers a wide array of home health services to the residents of Berkeley and Jefferson Counties including nursing and rehabilitative services, medical social services, home health aide and nutritional services,” Hockman said.
According to Hockman, there are many benefits to home care. “Home care is personalized, it encourages independence, keeps families together and promotes healing often reducing recovery time,” she commented, adding that it also can be less expensive that other types of care.
Home care services are paid for by public and private sources, or directly by patients and their families. Third-party payers include commercial insurance, managed care organizations, and workers' compensation. Medicare and Medicaid are significant payers, often driving the payment agenda for commercial insurance.
Despite massive cutbacks in government funding, home care continues to be the preferred means of receiving quality health care services for millions of Americans. “At WVUH-East Home Health Care, we believe that quality health care can be provided in a compassionate, safe, and cost effective manner in the home environment,” Hockman stated.
WVUH-East Home Health Care is Joint Commission Accredited and a Medicare certified home health agency. For more information, call WVUH-East Home Health Care at 304.728.1750.