Professional staff assist those in need of skilled health
care in their homes. Home care visits are made on a daily
to monthly basis under the orders of your private physician.
RNs, LPNs, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists,
Speech Pathologists, Medical Social Workers, Dietitians,
and Home Health Aides bring their special skills to the
private home to assist the patient regain health. Services
include skilled health assessments, therapeutic treatments
and exercises, including certified lymphedema and venous
insufficiency treatments, administration of medications,
including intravenous (IV) therapy and injections, wound
and suture line care and teaching of all aspects of care
to promote recovery from illness and prevention of recurrence.
VNA health care is designed to promote patient independence
and active involvement in their own ongoing good health.
Each plan of care is designed to meet the special needs
of just one person ~ the patient.
Skilled Nursing Visits
Description of Service:
RNs and LPNs provide professional nursing services to patients in the
privacy of their own homes under direct orders from the private physician.
Care provided is determined by individual patient need. Services include,
though are not limited to, the following:
ASSESSMENT
~ An initial assessment visit will form the basis
for the care to be provided you though changes
will be made constantly as your condition changes.
Each visit, the nurse will assess your current
status, progress made and any new problems, which
may have developed.
TEACHING
~ You will receive specific information regarding
your disease process, symptoms to report to your
physician should they arise before the nurse's
return visit or after discharge from service,
and what to do in response to changes as they
occur. You will also be told what changes to expect.
You and your caregiver, if you have a family member
or friend assisting in your care, will receive
step-by-step instructions in the procedures being
performed by the nurse.
VNA
is the only home health care provider in southeast
Missouri using the Honeywell
HomMed TeleHealth
device to assess patients' weight, blood pressure,
heart rate, oxygen saturation and specific areas
of concern on a daily basis in an effort to identify
and treat problems early from home or the physician's
office rather than from the emergency room or
intensive care unit of the hospital.
HANDS-ON NURSING CARE
~ This will vary from patient to patient as it
is designed specific to the needs of only one
person. Examples of care that may be provided
include: Bandage or dressing changes to sores,
wounds, incision lines, ostomies or intravenous
(IV) catheter insertion sites. Venipuncture to
obtain lab specimens or insert an IV catheter
(including PICC lines). Administration of medications
such as IVs and other injections. Ventilator and
other respiratory support care. Ostomy care. Catheter
insertions. The list of possible services is too
long to place here. PLEASE CALL IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
regarding a specific service.
COMMUNICATE
changes in your health care needs to your doctor.
This will include regular progress reports and
updates to your plan of care. You will be informed
of any communication and changes in orders received
from your doctor regarding your care.
RESTORE
you to your maximum level of independence in the
least amount of time possible. The
ultimate goal of the nurse is to return the patient
to independence with the greatest degree of good
health in the shortest span of time possible.
We know you have better things to do than be sick.
Payment Methods:
Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Workman's Comp, Private Purchase
and Charitable Contributions (when available) are used to purchase nursing
services for VNA patients.
Eligibility
Requirements:
SKILLED SERVICES can be provided only under the direction of a licensed
doctor. Each payment source has it's own eligibility guidelines. In most
cases, the patient must be "homebound". This means leaving home to obtain
medical care is difficult or causes a hardship and the patient rarely
leaves home except with help for very short periods of time. In some
cases, the physician prescribes that the patient remain home until
treatment is completed to avoid prolonging the recovery period or risking
exposure to additional health threats while the patient's resistance is
low.
Additional Notes:
HOME HEALTH SKILLED NURSING visits are designed to meet the needs of the
person recovering from an acute illness or a setback in a chronic illness.
Recurrent hospitalizations and multiple trips to the emergency department
are "red flags" signaling the need for home care.
Physical Therapy
Description of Service:
A
licensed therapist will assess the patient's current physical abilities
focusing primarily on lower body strength, coordination, and tolerance to
activity. Therapy will be provided to improve mobility, strengthen muscle
coordination, improve endurance, promote safety and teach correct use of
equipment such as prosthetic devices, walkers, canes, crutches and lifts.
Therapy is designed to promote patient independence in performance of
daily living activities. The patient will be taught a series of exercises
to perform between therapy visits to speed recovery. Prior to discharge
from service, the patient will have received the needed training to
continue steady improvement or to maintain progress made.
Payment Methods:
Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Workman's Comp, Private Purchase
and Charitable Contributions (when available) are used to purchase therapy
services for VNA Patients.
Eligibility
Requirements:
PAYOR SOURCE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS vary and must be met before that
source will pay for services. All require that the patient have need of
skilled care and that there be a reasonable expectation of improvement in
the patient's current health status.
Additional Notes:
PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTANTS may provide treatments under the direction of
a Physical Therapist once a plan of care has been developed. HOME HEALTH
AIDES may be instructed by the Physical Therapist to perform
range-of-motion exercises and ambulation exercises in conjunction with
bathing and dressing as an extra period of physical therapy between the
therapist's visits.
Speech Therapy
Description of Service:
A
licensed therapist will assess the patient's current physical and mental
abilities for communication and/or swallowing of foods and liquids. A
program of therapeutic exercise will be developed to improve the patient's
communication abilities. As an example, patients who have suffered the
loss of their "voice box" (laryngectomy) may receive instruction in
esophageal speech. A patient who has trouble swallowing may benefit from
neck and throat exercises designed to regain the ability to take oral
nourishment. The patient will be taught an exercise program to be used
between the therapist's visits so as to speed recovery. This will also
improve the patient's potential for recovery.
Payment Methods:
Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Workman's Comp, Private Purchase
and Charitable Contributions (when available) are used to purchase therapy
services for VNA Patients.
Eligibility
Requirements:
PATIENT NEED for skilled treatments and payors source eligibility
requirements dictate provision of therapy services.
Occupational Therapy
Description of Service:
A
licensed therapist will assess the patient's current
physical ability focusing primarily on upper body
strength, coordination and tolerance to activity.
Therapy will be provided to improve mobility, strengthen
muscle coordination and improve endurance so as
to promote independence in daily living activities.
The patient will be taught a program of exercise
to continue progressive improvement between therapy
visits and following discharge from service.
VNA also offers a certified lymphedema therapy specialist
to assist patients suffering from debilitating fluid
retention in the arms or legs.
Payment Methods:
Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Workman's Comp, Private Purchase
and Charitable Contributions (when available) are used to purchase therapy
services for VNA Patients.
Eligibility
Requirements:
PATIENT NEED for skilled services and payors source eligibility
requirements dictate provision of therapy services.
Medical Social Service
Description of Service:
The primary concern of the social worker is provision of a safe
environment for the patient. The patient receives assistance in
identifying and accessing needed community services.
Fees to Participant:
Medicare, Private Insurance, Workman's Comp, Private Purchase and
Charitable Contributions (when available) are used to purchase the
services of a social worker for VNA Patients.
Eligibility
Requirements:
PATIENT NEED for professional services and payors source eligibility
requirements dictate provision of social services.
Home Health Aide
Description of Service:
Personal hygiene care, such as bathing and grooming, is provided to
improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails. Simple dressings to
unbroken, precariously fragile skin may be applied under the direction of
the nurse. Range of motion exercises may be provided according to a plan
developed by a licensed therapist. Ambulation transfer assistance is
provided to promote safety. Bed linens are changed according to patient
preference. The patient is encouraged to perform as much of his own care
as able. The Home Health Aide's goal is to return the patient to
independent self-care as soon as possible.
Payment Methods:
Medicare, Medicaid, and occasionally Private Insurance or Workman's Comp
will purchase the non-skilled services of the Home Health Aide.
Frequently, aide services are Privately Purchased.
Eligibility
Requirements:
PATIENT NEED and the source of payment determine eligibility for service.
Additional Notes:
PERSONAL HYGIENE and grooming assistance are often cited as one of the
most appreciated home care services as the increased sense of well-being
is immediate. Privacy is a priority in all personal care.
Dietitian
Description of Service:
Dietary needs are assessed and the patient is instructed in foods
recommended to meet those needs to promote recovery and maintain wellness.
The patient's health requirements, economic status and personal food
preferences are considered in developing a nutritious diet.
Payment Methods:
This service is rarely reimbursable by an insurance plan but provided by
VNA because improved nutrition reduces the time needed for recovery. Also,
patient awareness of their body's food and fluid needs will decrease the
likelihood of a recurrence of ill health.
Eligibility
Requirements:
A
nursing assessment reveals the need for a dietary consult. The physician
must approve and authorize the service.
