w   ho knew back in 1912 when Neighborhood Health Agen-cies was founded that services for homecare and hospice 

would expand as much as it has? Who could predict the huge in-crease in demand for these healthcare services? At present, Neigh-borhood Health cares daily for well over 500 patients with diverse needs in Chester County and the surrounding area. 

Neighborhood Health cares daily for well over 500 patients with diverse needs in Chester County and the surrounding area.

100 Years Devoted to Homecare and Hospice

By Betsy Dru TeccoPhotography by Kelly O’Keefe

“Demand is growing for a variety of reasons,” explains Andrea Devoti, President and CEO of the West Chester-based organization. First, there are the aging baby boomers and savvy consum-ers who want to avoid a hospital stay.

“People want to be at home in a comfortable environment, and if we can support them in that way, that’s

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wonderful,” says Pat Bush, Director of Homecare. “That’s really our mission.”

Second, Medicare wants to reduce the average length of hospital stays, and hospitals are being held account-able for making that happen. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Chester County Hospital and Health System, Neighborhood Health plays an integral part in keeping patients out of the hospi-tal if they don’t need to be there.

“Homecare is the most reasonable way to provide high quality care to some-one,” says Devoti. “It’s a lot more cost effective to give someone therapy or blood thinners or hospice care in their home than it is to pay for a hospital stay.”

HOMECARE SERVICESA broad range of conditions warrant

homecare services, which are provided under the direction of the patient’s physi-cian. Among some of the most common are post-surgery rehabilitation, cardiac problems, pneumonia, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

Heidi Owen, Director of Hospice

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Neighborhood Health’s home-care services include skilled nursing in which patients and their families are taught how to best manage their health, whether it’s learning how to give an injection, do wound care, use a nebulizer, or some other need. Physical therapists help patients regain strength and mobility while occupational thera-pists help them manage everyday activi-ties like bathing, eating, and dressing. Other homecare functions include speech therapy, dietary counseling, and providing medical equipment and sup-plies. Home health aides provide per-sonal care services like grooming, meal preparation, and light housekeeping to patients who cannot handle these tasks on their own.

“Our social workers are integral to the homecare process as well,” adds Pat Bush. “They help patients who need to be transferred to a rehabilitation center or long-term care facility.”

Homecare is also available to women with high-risk pregnancies or who have children with special needs. Newborns may need help with respiratory problems, for example, and jaundice babies may require phototherapy.

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“Whether it is therapy or nursing or education, our homecare services are meant to improve upon the patient’s quality of life,” explains Bush.

SENIOR HEALTHLINKAlthough Neighborhood Health’s

services are primarily covered by insur-ance, the nonprofit organization also receives grants and donations that can be used to care for impoverished residents and to support programs like Senior HealthLink. This free outreach program sends trained student nurses to elderly people in the community who don’t qualify for homecare but have medi-cal issues. The student nurses perform pertinent assessments and screenings to evaluate the elders’ health status, iden-tify problems, and fi nd solutions. Says Bush: “Senior HealthLink o� ers a won-derful continuum of care at no cost to the seniors.”

HEALTHBUDDYAnother convenient service of

Neighborhood Health is a telemonitor-ing device called HealthBuddy that helps with disease management. Homecare clients plug the device into their phone. Each day they use the HealthBuddy to answer a series of questions related to their medical condition, such as blood pressure and oxygen level. The data is then transferred to Neighborhood Health’s central station for evaluation and follow-up by the nursing sta� . “We provide this service free to our homec-are clients,” says Bush. “They love the program because of the peace of mind it gives them.”

HOSPICE SERVICESHospice care helps people of all ages,

who are faced with a life-limiting illness, receive the care and comfort they need. It also supports the patients’ loved ones, making it easier to cope with this di� cult experience. Working in conjunction with the patient’s physician, Neighborhood Health’s hospice team is comprised of

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hospice medical directors, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, a full-time chaplain, a cadre of trained volunteers, and bereavement counselors.

“We also offer physical, speech, and occupational therapy as well as dietary counseling, medical equipment, and

medications to control symptoms like pain and anxiety,” says Heidi Owen, Director of Hospice.

Neighborhood Health’s hospice services cover the four levels of hos-pice care: in-patient, respite, routine, and continuous care. Routine level of care happens in the home setting and

involves intermittent visits by the hos-pice team as needed. Continuous care, which is for short-term crisis control, also is available in the home. ‘Home’ is defined as wherever the patient calls home, whether it be an actual home, skilled nursing home, assisted living facility, or continuing care community.

“No plan of care is the same, and it can be changed as the patient’s clinical condition changes,” notes Owen, adding: “We are available to our clients 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Neighborhood Health has the first and only hospice in-patient unit in Chester County. Located across the street from The Chester County Hospital, the freestanding unit has a 1:5 staff to patient ratio to provide short-term medical care for acutely ill patients with end-stage diseases. The facility also provides respite care for care-givers who need a break from the responsibility of caring for their loved one.

The unit’s 22 private patient rooms are furnished with a sleeper sofa and recliner for the patient’s family and friends. Adding to the homey atmo-sphere are a kitchen and several com-fortable gathering rooms, including a family room, peaceful meditation room, and children’s playroom. “Family pets and even alcoholic beverages are per-mitted,” says Owen. “We try to emulate the patient’s normal routine as much as possible.” The hospice program also offers complementary therapies like Reiki, reflexology, music therapy, art therapy, and pet therapy – all of which are designed to enhance well-being.

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The community is fortunate to have had the compassionate care of Neighborhood Health for a century. “We hope to be doing the same thing for another 100 years,” affirms Devoti. •Neighborhood Health Agencies795 E. Marshall St., Ste. 204West Chester, PA 19380610.696.8312www.NVNACC.com

In-Patient Hospice Unit400 E. Marshall St.West Chester, PA 19380484.887.7700

Senior HealthLink610.431.1852

Neighborhood Health has the first and only hospice in-patient unit in Chester County. Located across the street from The Chester County Hospital, the freestanding unit has a 1:5 staff to patient ratio to provide short-term medical care for acutely ill patients with end-stage diseases. The facility also provides respite care for caregivers who need a break from the responsibility of caring for their loved one.

Members of the Neighborhood Hospice team include John Bodnar, RN, Inpatient Unit; Heidi Owen, Director of Hospice; D. Chris Glod, Pastoral Counselor and Bereavement Counselor; Margaret Brown, RN, Inpatient Unit; Laurie Worth, Hospice Volunteer; and Patty Corcoran, RN, Inpatient Unit.

July/August 2011www.chestercounty-life.com | 53 |

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