Sunday, June 30, 2013

Containing Infection Community Service

Community providers love it when the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announces early treatment of a disease process helps stall symptoms and improve quality of life.  There exists a correlation between early treatment and reduced incidence of transmission.

Once medical research can deliver evidence of the mechanism by which early treatment stalls undesired symptoms a diagnostic avenue opens.  The health care system adapts a practice that focuses efforts on assessment for a specific disease process.  The result being earlier diagnosis.

Early detection and diagnosis with rapid treatment includes information on how the disease spreads.  Informing the individual patient and the area specific community providers helps reduce the transmission of the disease.  Simply individual patients and a population of providers are less likely to participate in activities of transmission when involved in tasks of treatment.

One can now see regardless of the given name for the infectious disease , evidence that early treatment stalls symptoms has a role in reducing the incidence of transmission.   This helps us understand how multiple systems of health can work in unison to manage the wellness of our community.

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Transition From Private To Public Funded Health Programs Residency Matters

One of the main things for families to consider with the transition from private payment over to public funded health service is State residency.  Federal law requires that a medical assistance recipient receive benefits in the State in which he or she resides.

Wisconsin budgetary legislation requires the Department of Health and Social Services to electronically verify the residence of an applicant for Medical Assistance purposes of determining eligibility. 

This can involve an authorized benefit specialist with the County Aging and Disability Resource Center viewing two forms of identification.  Examples could be a drivers license issued by the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles, a rent receipt, a utility bill with name and Wisconsin address to name a few.

Home Care Path encourages our seniors to participate in the process to access needed benefits.

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life



Thursday, June 27, 2013

What is inpatient support Wisconsin PATH ALONG Model

Wisconsin's PATH ALONG model facilitates access to supportive staff who can accompany a senior in through the hospital stay.  There are four themes of support that weave through the structure of the hospital stay.  The four themes of support include:

Supporting evaluation
Supporting instruction
Supporting verbalized changes
Supporting post discharge needs

Supporting evaluation involves blending individual department assessments in to the long term view of needed interventions.  Accommodating  acute assessments in to the long term daily care regimen.  This includes talking through with the patient how this intervention would occur in the home to help reduce the risk of a re-hospitalization.

Supporting instruction involves repetition of information delivered by the individual departments as a way to enhance learning and insure participation.  If pharmacy has advised the patient to take a medication with food, the regimen is altered in the home to continue this important practice.

Supporting verbalized changes involves communicating new needs in to the varied individual providers to establish a treatment suited to restore ongoing level of function. If the patient reports a symptom (redness and swelling of skin) this is communicated rapidly at the time of occurrence to all the existing departments providing service.  This delivers a holistic higher quality outcome.

Supporting post discharge needs involves consistent timely communication of the medical interventions during the hospital stay and the continuing changes to the ongoing care regimen.  This means all post hospital service providers understand the reason for the hospital visit and the existing changes required to best maintain health. 

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

CARE TRANSITIONS made easy PATH ALONG

PATH ALONG is an original Wisconsin model designed to reduce preventable hospital readmissions.  The key asset to the PATH ALONG model is the simplified approach to communicating a comprehensive understanding of care transitions. 

The PATH ALONG model lends itself to technological (smart phones), verbal (presentations), and printed (coaching sheets) avenues of communication.  This flexibility facilitates an expansive quality that strengthens the user populations ability to adapt to this beneficial process.

Long term health care planners have identified "Care Transitions" as a way to reduce a persons need for a re-hospitalization.  The PATH ALONG model defines each care transition, provides the core task for each care transition, and the rationale or reason for the core task.   This is to improve comprehension and encourage individual participation in the recovery process.

The PATH ALONG model delivers an orderly avenue for introducing self preference while maintaining patient independence and autonomy.  Helping to match values with presented options designed to meet the assessed needs.

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Home Care Path Gets Grant From St. Clare Health Care Foundation

Home Care Path has received a grant from St. Clare Health Care Foundation Baraboo Wisconsin to raise community awareness of efforts to manage hospital readmissions.  Federal policy encourages communities to act on strategies to reduce hospital readmission rates.  This is a Healthy Community Partnership Grant from St. Clare Health Care Foundation.

Long term health care planners have identified "Care Transitions" as an important area for managing hospital readmissions.  Home Care Path has developed an original Wisconsin model called PATH ALONG designed to communicate each inpatient to outpatient care transition.  Listed with each care transition is the dynamic component.  Focusing on the dynamic component saves the patient from reacting to the varied hospital departments simultaneous operations and keeps the attention on pragmatic aspects present in all favorable outcomes of recovery.

The rationale is listed with each care transition which adds predictable structure to a changing flow, respecting personal preference, and supporting an internal locus of control.  The grant provides for three community presentations designed to help individuals better understand the concept of care transitions preventing a re-hospitalization. 

Each individual attending will receive a care transitions coaching sheet to take with them.  Those attending will be able to effectively share this information with friends and family. 
This is an inclusive approach to encouraging families to become more comfortable with the varied connections throughout the inpatient and outpatient recovery process.  Home Care Path will be posting the location, date,  and time of the presentations when they are scheduled.

Home Care Path would like to take this opportunity to thank the St. Clare Health Care Foundation for their participation in this very important Healthy Community Partnership Grant Project.

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Risk of Hospital Readmission Does Not Disappear On Day 30

For the sake of policy hospital providers will diligently monitor a patients risk for a readmission 30 days post discharge.  Wisconsin's PATH ALONG model thinks about a persons long term care needs.   This means focusing on the risk beyond the initial month after discharge which is a true model of patient centered care.

Risk of a readmission does not immediately disappear on day 30, it is very common for patients who have experienced a major cardiac event to be readmitted within a year.  Most will be well below their normal level of health for longer than one month.

Patients who came in to the hospital independent and were treated for a major cardiac event  can leave with reduced capabilities ranging from struggles with transportation, preparing meals, eating, or going to the toilet.  Families will notice a significant decline in the day to day function. 

Wisconsin's PATH ALONG model provides the family and patient with access to staff (www.homecarepath.com)  who can help support the person struggling with reduced capabilities.   Staff intervene to compensate for the decline in the persons ability to care for themselves.

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome MERS-CoV

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) is a novel, newer human infection which means the body will not have built up immunity.  Last outbreak was in Saudi Arabia.   Currently the CDC indicates no reported cases in the United States. 

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a virus, meaning a microorganism that needs a host cell to reproduce.  Categorized as part of the coronavirus family known for the crown like spikes on the surface.

Symptoms begin with fever and cough which can develop in to a pneumonia and result in kidney failure.  A typical airborne virus is spread by inhaling droplets from a sneeze or cough.  The MERS-CoV tends to have an expansive quality for infecting individuals seemingly without the usual mode of contact.  This makes it most dangerous to a hospital or nursing home population.

Prevention includes the wearing a face mask to help reduce exposure.  The source is unknown.  Bats who would feed upon dates in the area have been listed as a potential source.  Hoping we can keep this one contained.

You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life 

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Hospitals to Clump In To Fewer Groups

Smaller rural hospitals are merging with larger hospital systems of providers.  This means the delivery of medical care is becoming more concentrated in fewer networks.   With larger networks controlling the operation of hospital care the idea of competition looks different.

Changes in the age of our population and increased number of users have pressured hospitals to lower cost and improve care.  Public and private health insurance payers have encouraged surgeons to perform the procedure in the community clinic or doctors office , so the patient does not spend a night in the hospital setting.

The changes are looking more like consolidation than health care competition. Larger hospital networks are expected to work harder and provide good care to control costs and keep the population healthy.

A larger health care delivery network has more bargaining power when negotiating rate of reimbursement with the public and private health insurance payers.  So, the branded name on the exterior of the hospital may change but the staff and the user population remain much the same.

Home Care Path and the PATH ALONG model value the important service our local hospitals provide for community members.   We encourage you to watch this trend as it unfolds.

You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life 

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Blood Infection Inverse Relationship Tween Private Insurance and Hospital Revenue Stream

Complications related to blood infections create an inverse relationship of streaming revenue between private health insurance payers and the hospital.  Diagnosing and treating illness in a hospital often includes needles, and tubes entering the body.  Enough germs entering the body can develop an infected patient who is now more costly for the hospital to care for.

Infected patients can require intense treatment measures with a cost that far exceeds the contracted reimbursement rate.  With a longer length of stay hospitals negotiate to retrieve up to 75 percent of the cost above the defined fixed rate. 

Upon audit one can determine that a blood infection will cause the private health plans risk reserve money to decrease while the hospital's deposited funds will increase.  Complications related to blood infections costs the private health insurance plan more money.

Long term community health planners expect Private Health Insurance Plans to begin to mandate hospital participation in less invasive diagnostic practices as a way to reduce the incidence of blood infections.


You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Home Care Path proposes NavAlong Program Exchange Navigator

The purpose of the NavAlong program is to connect more Wisconsin citizens to a valid pay source and improve access to health care services. The NavAlong program supports six Wisconsin Counties for a year with the Health Insurance Industries transition to the Health Insurance Exchange model of marketing. NavAlong calculates the uninsured estimate of the six Counties at 28, 480.00 The NavAlong program has an annual estimated budget of 107, 039.00. The NavAlong program leverages available technology to expand instruction and promotion ongoing throughout the service area. The goal is to educate the community while supporting individuals to convert 18, 575 from uninsured in to a qualified health plan.

RE: Coming health insurance exchange funding opportunity CA-NAV-13-001 pending PPHF-2013-Cooperative Agreement to Support Navigators in Federally facilitated State Partnership Exchanges. Proposed program is "NavAlong".

 You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life 

Friday, June 7, 2013

CMS encourages less hospital readmissions with hip and knee surgery

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have proposed a reduction of reimbursement for a hospital readmission occurring within 30 days of an elective hip or knee arthroplasty surgery. 
This rule could go in to effect on October 1, 2013. 

Hospital readmissions are no longer an accepted part of the health care delivery system.  Medicare and private insurance payers have embraced policy that allows for planned readmissions.  The ruling now reads hospital admissions for acute illness and complications of care are never planned. 

Upon fiscal review hip and knee surgeries have been identified to have the largest procedural expense in the Medicare budget.  Over sight includes establishing legislation designed to move the hospital industry toward a practice that reduces hospital readmissions for scheduled knee and hip surgery.

You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

The Summer Emergency Room Visit

The hospital emergency department delivers a service designed to care for individuals with acute undesired symptoms.  The manifested symptoms are typically new to the patient and scary for the family.  Persons going to the emergency room want to see a medical doctor as soon as possible.

The national average amount of time for a patient entering the emergency room and being assessed by a medical doctor is about 37 minutes.  Local community hospitals will try to adjust the system and staffing levels to cause the physician evaluation to take place sooner.

The national average amount of time for a person seen in the emergency room to be admitted to the hospital is about 4 and one half hours. This can be compared to the national average amount of time an emergency department patient is seen (about 2 and one half hours) before being discharged.

The national average amount of time for a person seen in the emergency room to be transferred to another facility is about 4 hours.   So the national average of median time from emergency room arrival to admission (279 minutes) is clearly taking longer than documented discharges or transfers. 

These values are called a measure of through put.  The values clearly indicate a lengthy time consuming assessment is being employed to document the evidence needed to demonstrate the need for a hospital admission.  Having the patient population meet the criteria required to admit to the hospital setting helps manage the risk of a readmission.  The staff of Home Care Path are sincerely thankful for the service performed in our hospital emergency rooms.

You are cordially invited to download your free PATH ALONG app today

http://appsmakerstore.com/appim/j6kcdet8xvwk4s


 Home Care Path  www.homecarepath.com and the Wisconsin PATH ALONG model deliver an advanced supportive care service.  Helping seniors in the home, with clinic visits, at the hospital, nursing home and assisted living facility.  Helping seniors downsize with a move in to an adult child's home. 2013 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an interview.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services can be tax deductible.  Help with resources and the transition from private payment to public funded programming.  Valuing home and human life