NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The home health piece of Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County is about increasing quality of life for those who have lost function and need to get it back so they can stay at home.
"Home health services are vital to those who are coming out of the hospital who have had a fall at home," said Denise Sherman, Director of Clinical Services for Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County. "Going to see their primary care physician, they are just not functioning well any more, but, it's recoverable. That's where our home health services come into play."
After a patient has seen their primary care to get a referral, the goal is to get the patient back as close to normal as they can in their own home.
"We focus on their strength, their balance, their mobility," said Holly Horning, Rehab Services Coordinator. "We bring in physical therapy and occupational therapy. Many people wonder, what is the difference between those two services? The physical therapy side focuses on that ambulation, balance, strength, range of motion. Occupational therapy focuses a lot on the daily activities. The patient's ability to take care of themselves, to perform their self-care activities like getting dressed, going to the bathroom, being able to bathe themselves, being able to prepare a meal or do their own laundry."
For older people, it really is a use it or lose it time of life.
"You lose that sense of independence," Horning said. "You quit functioning. You quit moving in your home. When you do that, you lose your strength and you are at a higher risk of falling. When you experience a fall, you tend to become more fearful of falling and then you tend to move less. That's when we really want physical therapy to come in to work on that strength and balance and confidence in being able to move."
Staff will come in and do an assessment to see what about the environment can change to make it easier to move safely through your home. First, contact your primary care physician and get a full check up, especially if you have had a fall scare, so that they can rule out illness and refer you for home health services.
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