Running head: HOME HEALTH CARE 1

Home Health Care

Karen Rockhead
ECPI University









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Home Health Care
Home health care contributes to the healthcare industry by providing in home care to
individuals that can consist of home health aides, assistance with activities of daily living,
nursing or therapy services, assistance with meals or simply companionship. One of the goals of
home health care is to provide care with the goal of keeping patients as independent as possible.
In recent years we have started to see an increase in the number of patients being discharged
from the hospital with orders for home care services. This is causing a rise in the demand for
services to be provided in the home setting and as a result reduces the need for placement in a
skilled nursing facility. Unfortunately, a significant number of those needing home healthcare
services are faced with barriers to accessing these services. As the need for services in the
industry grows we can only hope that change will take place to remove these barriers with equal
access to care for all those in need. There are many benefits to having home health care services,
the most important to note is the ability to receive the necessary care in the privacy and comfort
of ones own home. In preparation for writing this paper, I was able to conduct an interview
with Thomasina Laney, who is the owner/administrator of Pro Nurse Medical Staffing Agency.
During the interview I was able to gain useful insight on the areas to be considered when
providing home health care services to residents. The ability to provide these services to those in
need are more valuable than most realize and require participation from both the client and all
the healthcare professionals involved in the care plan.
Perspective from the Interviewee
The interview began with background information about how Ms. Laney began her
career in the healthcare field. She tells me that she began in the home health setting in 1984 and
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has since gained experience in infusion home health services serving as an assistant to the home
health services administrator at a staffing agency, before deciding to open her own business.
During her experience in the field she has served many roles that have included business
manager, scheduling of the nursing and home health aides, as well as securing hospital contracts
for staffing. After working in the field for many years, she made the decision to open Pro Nurse
Medical Staffing Agency in 1999 and has been in business since then while facing many
challenges but also enjoying the rewards that come with being able to provide care to those in
need of home health services.
Healthcare can be challenging in all aspects of healthcare. Ms. Laney states that her
greatest challenge in providing home healthcare services includes keeping the business together
and learning how to effectively manage difficult situations when they arise. She makes note that
because she has to deal with family members in the home setting, it can be difficult at times to
get the participation from the family members and at times there is a need to reach out for
additional services such as adult protection services or other support services that may be
available to assist the patient. It is important to recognize the need for training and education of
staff on how to handle such cases. Because care is being provided in the privacy of patients
home there is an increased risk of violent situations taking place. With proper training on how to
correctly identify the need for concern and how to avoid a situation escalating out of control,
patients and staff can hopefully be kept safe in the home care environment. Ms. Laney makes
mention that Homecare can be very emotional and sometimes taxing (Laney, 2013). This is a
common trend in this setting, as taking care of patients usually requires not just physical care, but
often psychological and support services are provided to patients in need as well.
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During the interview we discussed management of the payment system for Medicaid and
Medicare clients. Ms. Laney lets me know that her business accepts Medicaid for payment, but
does not accept Medicare at this time. She states that in order for her to accept Medicare as a
form of payment her business would be required to have a Certificate of Need, and that is not
feasible for her company at this time. However, she makes it clear that her business never turns
down a referral. If a referral is received and she is unable to accept the method of payment, she
will pass the referral to one of the other area facilities that can help the patient instead.
For improvements and quality, Ms. Laney points out that her main concern is having her
charts reviewed by the Quality and Assurance nurse. She also utilizes students in the nursing
program from the local University as interns. Together with the QA nurse, the interns review all
cases for to ensure care plans are being followed appropriately and correct documentation is
taking place. Ms. Laney finds this area to be of most concern to her because of the importance of
proper documentation and doing what is best to meet the needs of the clients served. She is
looking to see that care is given as ordered and any areas that are identified as needing
improvement are addressed in a timely fashion.
Conclusion
To conclude, from conducting this interview I was able to gain a better understanding of
some of the challenges and concerns faced by an owner/administrator of a local home health
agency. I understand that as a privately operated family owned business, the challenges faced can
be different from those faced by perhaps a major home care agency business. From this personal
interview I was able to have an intimate conversation with Ms. Laney which allowed me to see
firsthand what running this agency means to her. Her emotional commitment to serving the
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individuals who require home health services is immeasurable. She is dedicated to continuing in
this industry for as long she is able to do so. Providing quality care to individuals is something
she holds very dear to her heart and feels she is doing what God has called her to do.















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References
Grant, R., & Greene, D. (2012). The Health Care Home Model: Primary Health Care Meeting
Public Health Goals. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(6), 1096-1103.
doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300397

Gross, N., Peek-Asa, C., Nocera, M., & Casteel, C. (2013). Workplace Violence Prevention
Policies in Home Health and Hospice Care Agencies. Online Journal Of Issues In
Nursing, 18(1), 1. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol18No01Man01

Laney, T. (2013, May 2). Owner/Administrator. (K. Rockhead, Interviewer)