Twenty years ago, Maureen Hurley was looking for a way to create a closer
relationship with the patients she cared for. A nurse at Campbell County
Health, she made the move to
Home Health care and has never looked back.
“It’s a very diverse level of nursing care,” Maureen,
RN, CHPN, said. “It often becomes a more intimate care experience.
We are visitors in someone’s home and the dynamics are very different.”
Today she serves as the director of CCH
Home Health and Hospice, working to ensure that all patients’ needs are being met. From
wound care to IV infusions and medication education to physical therapy,
CCH’s Home Health brings skilled care right to the patient’s home.
“In home health, we do a lot of disease management, teaching and
post-operative care,” Maureen said. “We are in there to educate
and help the family set up a plan to be successful. It gives us the opportunity
to build some strong relationships with our patients in their own environment.”
Physicians typically refer patients to home health, which is certified by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), recognizing that the patient may need a more skilled level of care
than they are capable of on their own. Many times those patients are unable
to make it to an outpatient clinic on a regular basis to receive that
care. Over the years, the services and outreach has grown.
CCH added
hospice services to the home health program in 2003.
“End of life care is such a valuable part of healthcare,” Maureen
said. “We can provide many services to our patients and families
who are dealing with a life-limiting illness.”
At Campbell County Health, that typically means helping patients and families
focus on the living they have left to do. Maureen said that end of life
care looks different for everyone and her team is there to support that
process. Hospice care doesn’t mean the patient is giving up. With
good symptom management, pain control and nursing care, families can make
each day count.
“My hope is more people become informed about what hospice is and
what a benefit it can be,” Hurley said. “There’s a lot
we can do to help people transition to this level of care.”
Maureen said she hopes that all families will reach out for assistance
when needed, whether that’s for home health or hospice. Servicing
all of Campbell County and parts of Crook County, home health and hospice
serve patients near and far. Maureen encourages anyone interested in learning
more about the services of Home Health and Hospice to call 307-688-6230 or visit
www.cchwyo.org/hhh.
Interested in learning more about Home Health and Hospice care?
According to a 2012 National Health Statistics Report, home health care
patients older than 65 were most likely to use:
- skilled nursing services
- physical therapy
- assistance with daily living activities
- homemaker services
- occupational therapy
- wound care
- dietary counseling
These are similar to all the services
CCH’s Home Health program provides.
Home Health care services are being provided on a large scale across the
country, and on a small, intimate scale in the local community.
In 2013:
- 4.9 million people received some type of end of life care
- 12,400 home health agencies nationwide
- 4,000 hospices nationwide
Hospice Care: What to expect
Patients must be certified by a physician for
hospice care, but patients and families can contact Hospice any time to learn more
about the transition from curative care to comfort care. Patients must
have a life-limiting illness with a life expectancy of six months or less.
The timing of a hospice referral is critical, allowing Hospice to assist
the patient and family in making that time as purposeful as possible.
In hospice care the focus shifts from curing a disease to the physical,
emotional, spiritual and financial concerns experienced by the patient
and family. Hospice care is provided wherever the patient calls home,
including
The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center, assisted living facilities or the
Close to Home Hospice Hospitality House.