Help Choose Home: Recent Episodes
Merrily Orsini
The Help Choose Home podcast features relevant information about the choices in home care available to individuals and their loved ones. Host Merrily Orsini, along with guests from all facets of the home care industry, provide valuable help, encouragement and resources to those considering the option of aging in place.
In today’s episode, Carla Davis, Senior Vice President of Hospice Operations at the LHC Group, discusses many of the little-known benefits of hospice care, as well as some of the misconceptions that surround the hospice benefit. This discussion will surely help listeners to navigate hospice care for a loved one.
Today’s episode discusses:
* A brief history of hospice in the United States
- Misconceptions around who hospice care is for and what services are offered in the benefit
- The many benefits that hospice care can provide to both an individual and their loved ones
- Where we should go as a country in order to make hospice care more accessible
In today’s episode, we discuss the many challenges facing the pediatric home care field in their journey to advocate and care for medically fragile children. One innovative company that’s helping in this fight is Team Select Home Care. Today, we talk to the President and CEO of Team Select to get his thoughts.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
* Team Select’s unique approach to pediatric home care
- How COVID-19 has affected care for medically fragile children
- An innovative solution to a huge problem in pediatric home care
In today’s episode, Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Director of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing CAPABLE Program and Senior Advisor for the Institute for Health Improvement (IHI), explains the work she now does with CAPABLE and IHI, along with her over 30 years of nursing experience. CAPABLE stands for Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders. While focusing on function and cost, CAPABLE links a registered nurse, handy worker, and occupational therapist together to create a network of care that helps aging adults live more safely and independently at home.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
* The CAPABLE Program and how it impacts the field of home care.
- The ways programs like the CAPABLE Program have started to spread across the country.
- Bonner’s work with the Institute for Health Improvement.
In today’s episode, we talk to Maria Botham, the Founder and CEO of The Loop Village, a unique online community created for older adults. Botham created The Loop Village with her cofounder after realizing the effect that isolation from COVID-19 was causing in seniors. She talks more about the ideas behind The Loop Village, as well as how the special online space is changing how older adults socialize as they age at home.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
* What The Loop Village is and how it came about
- The Loop Village’s unique design
- How socialization through The Loop Village can help older adults
In today’s episode, we talk to Bob Roth, Managing Partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions. Speaking from an extensive career in home care, Roth, who is also the radio show host of Health Future and writes the monthly column, “Aging Today,” discusses his work with Cypress HomeCare. He also goes on to explain how consumers in the home care field can benefit from using an employee-based agency as opposed to hiring a private caregiver, which may lead to more liability on the consumer. Roth also explained some of the pressing workforce issues in the home care field and some of the things that can help solve those issues.
**In today’s episode, we discuss:**
- The personal experience that led Bob Roth to home care
- The benefits of an employee-based agency
- Workforce issues in home care
In today’s episode, we talk to Dr. Jay LaBine, Chief Medical Officer for naviHealth, about his work in value-based, senior-focused, post-acute care. With a medical career spanning over many years, Dr. LaBine’s work with naviHealth centers around implementing programming that helps advocate for patients as they transition from receiving care in hospital or rehabilitation facilities to care at home. Through the lens of his work, he explains how patients can benefit from naviHealth’s efforts.
**In today’s episode, we discuss:**
- naviHealth’s care model
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How Dr. LaBine got started in his career
- How naviHealth’s services and Dr. LaBine’s work can make the care transition experience easier for patients
In today’s episode, we talk to Jason Bring, a health care partner at Arnall Golden Gregory who cochairs the law firm’s National Post-Acute Care team and serves on the Board of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. Bring also works with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization on legislative issues in the industry. Through both his position at Arnall Golden Gregory and his personal involvement in the home health care field, Bring offers a lot of information about how legislation is impacting home health care.
**In this episode we discuss:**
- How Bring’s work affects home health care providers and consumers
- How current legislation is impacting the home health care field
- How legislation could potentially drive significant progress in home health care
In today's episode, we talk to Dr. Tom Cornwell, Senior Medical Director at Village Medical at Home. Village Medical at Home is part of VillageMD, an organization that partners with physicians to provide the tools, technology, operations, staffing support and industry relationships to deliver high-quality clinical care and better patient outcomes, while reducing the total cost of care. Dr. Cornwell has over 25 years of experience providing care at home and has made over 34,000 house calls in that time.
In this episode we discuss:
- Cornwell’s career-long efforts in bringing care to patients’ homes.
- Payment models that are influencing the trends of in home care.
- The importance of advocacy work in the home health care field.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Brent Korte, chief home care officer of EvergreenHealth. He’s also an active member of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.
In this episode we discuss:
- How virtual care options are making home care even more viable than before
- The “hospital at home” initiative and how it’s revolutionizing the way vulnerable populations receive health care
- The ways the National Association for Home Care and Hospice is working towards greater equity in health care
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Dr. Timothy Ihrig, the Chief Medical Officer of Crossroads Hospice and Palliative Care. He’s also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ihrig MD and Associates. He is an internationally recognized expert in hospice and palliative care and a second time guest of the podcast.
In this episode we discuss:
- How to know when curative medical treatments are actually causing harm to an elderly patient
- How the financial imperatives of the medical industry lead to unnecessary invasive treatments
- Why becoming comfortable with death is the secret to living a full life
In today’s episode we’re joined by Sara Ratcliffe, Executive Director of the Illinois Home Care and Hospice Council. Sara is the former State Home Care Association Chair and serves on the board of directors of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice.
In this episode we discuss:
- How to use the Illinois Home Care and Hospice Council to find reliable local home care
- How technology and creative division of labor are taking pressure off caregivers
- The importance of training family caregivers and offering them respite care
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Erik Listou , a certified living in place professional and home and accessibility trade specialist.
Erik is the co-founder of the Living In Place Institute , an organization that provides professional education to individuals involved in the housing industry. He is the former Executive Director of the Denver Habitat for Humanity and hosted and produced his own 125-episode talk radio show, "Build Responsible, with Erik!"
In this episode we discuss:
- How to prep your home for safe and comfortable aging in place
- Which rooms in the home are statistically the most dangerous
- Why accessible housing is the future of the housing industry, no matter your age
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Sheila McMackin , a licensed clinical social worker, founder of Wellspring Personal Care , and founder and past president of the Home Care Association of America.
Sheila has served on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Home Health, Home Services and Home Nursing Advisory Board, and on the board of directors of Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly, Chicago Chapter.
In this episode we discuss:
- How best to search for safe and effective home care in a post-pandemic world
- Strategies for tackling the industry-wide staffing crisis
- The centrality of relationships and personal trust to the home care industry.
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 4, Episode 3 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Edo Banach , JD, President and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization . He has worked as the Senior Advisor and Deputy Director of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Associate General Counsel at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
Edo has also served as the Medicare Rights Center’s General Counsel, and has practiced health law at the firms of Latham & Watkins and Gallagher, Evelius and Jones, and clerked for U.S. Judge John T. Nixon of the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
In this episode we discuss:
- The history of the hospice benefit and why there’s still plenty of room for hospice reform
- The importance of standardized, high-quality community-based palliative care.
- Strategies for raising consumer awareness about legislative issues related to hospice and palliative care, and tips for talking to loved ones about them.
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 4, Episode 2 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Bill Dombi, Esq., the President of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice , where he also serves as the Director for the Center for Healthcare Law, and the Executive Director of the Homecare and Hospice Financial Managers Association.
With nearly 40 years of experience in health care law and policy, Bill has been heavily involved with health care and hospice policy at the local and national level since 1975. He has advocated for home health care reform under numerous presidential administrations.
In this episode we discuss:
- Ways consumers can support congressional initiatives to provide more home care options.
- The future of care at home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The history of how the initiative to make home care a more accessible option has bridged political divides and united the country.
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 4, Episode 1 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Beth Cavenaugh , a certified hospice and palliative care nurse and author of Some Light at the End , An End-of-Life Guidebook for Patients and Their Caregivers. Her book is an invitation to walk towards the powerful end of life instead of running away from it.
Beth has been a hospice nurse for 15 years and a nurse for 25 in home settings, in-patient units, and hospitals. She specializes in helping demystify death for patients and their families while cultivating an appreciation for the end of life. She also has a private reiki practice which helps support physical, emotional, and spiritual healing for adults and teens.
In this episode we discuss:
- How to work with hospice teams even when you’re not emotionally ready to accept the end.
- The care at home support options available for those who wish to die at home.
- Ways to be radically present with your loved one as they approach death, and some small rituals you can use to mark the event.
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 19 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Dr. Fran Hoh , an Advanced Practice Nurse board-certified in hospice and palliative care and the founder and CEO of Palliative Rx. Palliative Rx offers live online programs in elderly health care education for families and patients who have been diagnosed with serious chronic illness, with special attention paid to the needs of families during the COVID-19 crisis.
Dr. Hoh has a robust background in palliative care, geriatrics, and critical care, and brings four decades of experience to her group and one-on-one classes. She is the recipient of a number of awards for her outstanding work in the field, including a Clinical Practice Award and a Geriatric Nurse Exemplar Award from the American Society of Pain Management Nursing.
In this episode we discuss:
- The differences between palliative care and hospice.
- How partnering with a palliative care nurse can empower you and your loved ones to make active decisions about elderly health care.
- The importance of discussing end-of-life wishes with your family as soon as possible.
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 19 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we’re joined by Ken Albert , RN, Esq., president and CEO of Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice . Androscoggin is an independent nonprofit home healthcare organization in central Maine that has been serving about nine counties and 185 communities for the last 55 years.
Ken has a varied background in healthcare, law, and government. He was recently elected to the board of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. Ken has served as Director of Emergency Services at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC), as the Administrator of the Occupational Health Center affiliated with CMMC, and as the Lewiston Site Manager for LifeFlight of Maine.
In this episode we discuss:
- The boom in telehealth during the COVID-19 crisis
- The future of American public health in a post-pandemic world
- The importance of educating primary care providers and consumers about palliative care and hospice care
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 18 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Kevin Heraty, Chief Development Officer of Cantata Adult Life Services. Originally founded as The British Home in 1920 and opened in 1924 by the Daughters of the British Empire (DBE), Cantata is a nonprofit organization that provides care for a diverse population and offers a variety of services to help seniors. Located in Brookfield, IL, Cantata offers a residential care facility, in-home caregiving services in private homes, handyman services, and a new Take 2 Neighborhood Care Program.
Kevin has a background in banking and finance and served on the Cantata board of directors before transitioning to a full-time employment role with the organization in 2012.
In this episode we discuss:
- The unique Take 2 Neighborhood Care Program model
- The ideal client for a neighborhood-based care program
- The benefits of a neighborhood-based care program
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 17 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Johanna Beliveau, DNP, MBA, RN, President and Chief Executive Officer at Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH). Serving the Upper Connecticut River Valley region since 1907, VNH is a nonprofit organization that provides nursing, rehabilitation, hospice, and personal care services in more than 140 towns in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Dr. Beliveau is an experienced healthcare leader with 25 years’ experience in nursing practice. She holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Yale University, a Master of Business Administration from Rosemont College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fitchburg State College and a Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt certificate from the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College. Combining her educational background with her industry expertise, Dr. Beliveau is a passionate advocate for delivering health care at home, and she is especially focused on increasing care options for those in the rural communities that VNH serves.
In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of developing program-specific teams in order to deliver effective care at home
- How rural care is different from urban care
- The ways in which home care services provides greater access of services to those in rural communities
- What makes home-based care unique
- The importance of consumers advocating for care and ultimately driving change in the home care industry
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 16 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Michelle Woodbrey, CDP, CSA, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of 2Sisters Senior Living Advisors. Founded in 2011, 2Sisters Senior Living Advisors offers referral and coaching services to older adults and their families who are exploring aging care options.
Michelle, and her co-founder sister, Alyson Powers, have deep career experience in the senior care industry, both in administrative roles and in hands-on care. Michelle and Allyson grew up in the senior care industry, following in their father’s, Mark Tobin’s, footsteps. Mark had a distinguished career in long-term care administration and certainly planted the seed that grew into a passion and career path for both Michelle and Alyson. Together, Michelle, Alyson and the rest of the 2Sisters Senior Living Advisors team work to help families navigate the care options available for senior loved ones, empowering them to establish a plan that meets care needs and goals.
In this episode we discuss:
- How senior living advisors help families make important decisions about care
- What it takes to make aging in place a viable option
- The importance of both a plan and a support system
- The costs associated with aging care
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 15 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Sara Wilson, president and CEO of Home Assist Health, Inc. A nonprofit organization which serves Arizona residents in greater Maricopa County, Home Assist Health, Inc. helps private pay and Medicaid clients pursue independent lifestyles in the comfort and familiarity of home.
An innovative leader in the home care industry, Sara is focused on modernizing home and community-based services to improve care experiences and health outcomes, and to reduce costs. Additionally, because of the anticipated labor shortage in home care, she seeks to access and prepare a new workforce that is interested in health and human service professions, for a career in the home care industry.
In this episode we discuss:
- Successfully navigating the pandemic in the home care industry
- How Home Assist Health, Inc. has supported the medical community during the pandemic
- The benefits of expanding the Medicaid service model
- Accessing a new workforce in order to keep up with anticipated staffing demands in the home care industry
- The myriad of tangible benefits of care at home
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 14 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Steven Landers, MD, MPH, president and CEO of Visiting Nurse Association Health Group. With a history of bringing care to people for over 100 years, VNA Health Group is the largest nonprofit provider of community home health and hospice services in New Jersey. VNA Health Group also provides in-home care services in Ohio and southeast Florida.
A certified family physician and geriatrician, Dr. Landers brings a unique perspective to his role at VNA Health Group, particularly now, during the pandemic. Dr. Landers is passionate about providing access to high quality care at home, especially to the vulnerable elderly, and he has authored several articles on the role of home care in national medical journals.
In this episode we discuss:
- The status of the home care industry at this point in the pandemic
- Client safety and caregiver safety and training
- The ongoing demand for home care services in the future
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 13 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Andrea Cohen, a social entrepreneur dedicated to transforming the way care is delivered to seniors at home. As the Founder and CEO of HouseWorks, her vision crystalized over 25 years ago when she took care of both her parents and made an unwavering commitment to redefine what it means to age.
As an innovator and thought leader in the home care industry, Andrea and the team at HouseWorks takes an entrepreneurial approach to service delivery that returns a sense of control to adult children and their parents. Andrea was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) and she also sits on the Board of The Commonwealth Institute, the Schwartz Center Leadership Council, and the Caregiver Action Network and serves as an appointee to the Massachusetts Women Forum.
In this episode we discuss:
- How home care is prepared to meet a wide variety of needs and promote senior independent living
- Specialized dementia care that benefits both clients and caregivers
- Suggestions for consumers who are seeking care for a loved one
- How home care remains a safe option for seniors during the pandemic
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 12 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Rosalind Marshall-Jones, CEO and founder of Jacksonville’s Best Caregivers. Roz has been in the caregiving field since 2009, assisting families both in Jacksonville and outside of her immediate service area through virtual caregiving support.
Helping families navigate the caregiving journey is one’s of Roz’s passions, and she provides a wealth of information and advice through her blog and via social media channels. As an advocate, crisis counselor and healthcare intervention specialist, Roz is driven by a deep desire to help families achieve success in their caregiving roles. During our discussion on Help Choose Home, Roz shares some of her important insight with listeners.
This episode focuses on the important role of family caregivers and we discuss:
- The need for support and a plan when caring for a parent or other family member
- Practical steps to make the administrative end of caregiving less overwhelming
- How support roles are just as important as the hands-on caregiving roles
- Knowing your limitations and what you have the capacity to do
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 11 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Cheryl Hammons, CFE, CSA, strategic partnership director for Veterans Care Coordination, a business that helps qualified U.S. veterans and their surviving spouses access aid and attendance benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans Aid and Attendance provides monthly payments to help cover the cost of care at home services for qualified veterans. Because the process to apply and remain eligible for this lifetime benefit can be confusing, Veterans Care Coordination works with veterans and their families to apply for the aid and partners with home care agencies to provide the needed in-home care services.
In this episode we discuss:
- An overview of Veterans Aid and Attendance
- Eligibility and screening process
- The benefits of the program
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 10 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
During today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Jeff Bevis, founder and CEO of FirstLight Home Care, which provides non-medical home care through its franchises in 35 states, plus the District of Columbia. Jeff is passionate about providing the highest level of service in the industry, through client satisfaction, caregiver retention and low caregiver turnover.
In my discussion with Jeff, he highlights many of the ways home care agencies are meeting the challenges of the pandemic head on and how the status of home care has been elevated during these past six months, as more people learn about the industry and there is a heightened need for experienced, professional delivery of care in the comfort and safety of home.
A few of the topics we discuss in this episode include:
- The increasing demand for and benefits of at home senior care
- Why it’s important to have a commitment to customer service
- Options to pay for home care services
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 9 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
In recent months, the value of care in the home has become more and more apparent to many families. As COVID-19 has swept through nursing homes and other facilities, older adults have been especially hard hit by the virus. Because of the high rates of infection in care facilities, many families have looked for alternatives for care for a senior loved one, and home care has provided the answers and safety needed during these unprecedented times.
To discuss more about the value of home care, Emma Dickison, CFE, CSA, president and CEO of Home Helpers Home Care, is my guest on this episode of Help Choose Home. With more than two decades of experience in home care both professionally and personally as a family caregiver, Emma brings an important perspective to her role at Home Helpers and in her recently appointed role as president of the board for the Home Care Association of America.
In this episode we discuss:
- How the pandemic has fueled an increase in hospitals discharging patients directly home versus to a care facility
- The role of technology in helping make home care more effective
- The future of home care in America
- The growth of home care and an increased need for caregivers
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 8 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
End-of-life care is a difficult topic of conversation for most people, a conversation that frequently comes too late, during times of crisis, or the decisions are left to the family to make on behalf of a loved one. According to Jan Jones, RN, BSN, recently retired CEO of The Elizabeth Hospice in San Diego, California, having conversations and outlining end-of-life care goals is an important gift you can give to your family.
In today’s episode, Jan joins me to discuss end-of-life care at home and the important role of hospice. Hospice combines the expertise of doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, home health aides and volunteers to create an intradisciplinary team that provides care for individuals and their families during times of life-limiting illness.
In addition, we discuss:
- The many benefits of hospice care
- How hospice care can help extend life and improve quality of life
- The differences between palliative care and hospice care
- How to have important conversations about death and end-of-life care
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 7 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
John Olajide, founder and CEO of Dallas-based Axxess, the leading home health care technology company in North America, has a vision of making quality home health care options accessible to people all over the world. This vision is integrated into everything John does and shapes the corporate culture of Axxess.
In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, John and I speak about his vision and the important role healthcare at home plays in helping people remain in the place that is most important to them: home. In addition, we discuss:
- The history and evolution of healthcare at home
- How cloud-based software makes healthcare at home safe and accessible
- The important role of leadership in the home health care industry
- Lessons learned about COVID-19
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 6 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
According to a 2018 AARP survey, 80% of adults over the age of 50 want to remain in their homes and communities as they age. For those in the home care industry, these findings come as no surprise. Home not only represents familiarity, but comfort and security as well. And during the pandemic, home has also been seen as a safe haven for older adults who, due to age and any pre-existing health conditions, are at a higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19.
During today’s episode of Help Choose Home, I am joined by Jeff Wiberg, CEO of Family Resource Home Care, which has been serving residents of the Pacific Northwest for 54 years. Jeff has been in the home care field since 2008, and as you’ll learn in our discussion, he is passionately committed to helping people access care at home.
In this episode of Help Choose Home we discuss:
- The wide variety of care available at home
- How professional home care services are paid for
- The value of home care services
- The role of home care agencies in helping to educate families in a variety of care options
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 5 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
The medical and healthcare landscapes are vast and overwhelming, and as a consumer, it’s easy to feel like an anonymous face in the crowd. Dr. Michael Fratkin, CEO and founder of ResolutionCare, has been working to improve the care experience for people for most of his career, and founded ResolutionCare based on the idea that people are more than their bodies, more than their diseases, and more than the challenges they face.
Based in Northern California, Dr. Fratkin and his team specialize in providing palliative care for people in the comfort and familiarity of home, utilizing a network of experts who share a commitment to person-centered, at home health care.
In this episode of Help Choose Home, we discuss the:
- Importance of taking care of people, not patients
- Human experience of navigating a chronic or life-limiting disease
- Impact of helping people change how they face serious illness
- Transformative power of telemedicine to level the playing field
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 4 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
One of the advantages of home health care is the ability to not only serve clients in their homes, but to provide care for a variety of health needs. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, professional home care services have been on the front lines, and from what our guest, Donna DeBlois, RN, BSW, MSB, MBA, AHCH, CEO and president of MaineHealth Care at Home says, are meeting this call head on.
In this episode we discuss:
- What consumers can expect when looking for care at home
- How home care is prepared to provide services for COVID positive clients
- The role of technology in delivering great care
- How the home care industry provides information and education on the benefits of care at home
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 3 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options.
Now, more than ever, care at home is being looked at as not only a viable solution to help an older loved one remain in a familiar setting, but also as a way to ensure the health and safety of a population that is at heightened risk for complications from COVID-19.
Understanding the important role of home care during the pandemic, in today’s episode we welcome Paul Mastrapa, CEO of Help at Home, which has been helping seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their communities for over 45 years. Paul has been in the home care industry for more than 25 years, and as I think you will discover when listening to him speak, he is passionate about the ways in which home care can help older adults remain safe and independent in their homes.
In episode 2 of season 3 we discuss:
- The broad range of services available through home care
- How the health industry is working to assist people both with medical and social issues
- The importance of consumers doing research when selecting care for a loved one
- The role of home care now, during the pandemic, and in the future, as our population continues to age
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home for Season 3, Episode 2 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about home health care options.
As we learn to navigate life during the coronavirus pandemic, you may be wondering how home health care options have been impacted.
- Are you a family caregiver who has utilized or is considering using in-home care?
- Are you considering moving your parents out of a senior living facility into your own home, but know you will still need caregiving assistance?
- Does your aging parent need help at home, but with COVID-19 as a very real threat to people over the age of 65, you worry about how safe it would be to have a caregiver in your loved one’s home?
- Are you like me, a mature adult who feels strongly about aging in place, and you want to know how COVID-19 may have reshaped the home care landscape?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, today’s episode is perfect for you.
To kick off Season Three of Help Choose Home, host Merrily Orsini welcomes Lora Masci Weagle, Director of Client Relations, and Adrianne Mann, RN, BSN, MSHA, Executive Director of HCR Home Care, which has been providing in-home care services for clients in upstate New York since 1978. Specifically, we discuss:
- The impact of the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 on home health care options
- Enhanced protocol steps HCR Home Care is taking to keep clients and staff safe
- The importance of educating and collaborating with referral sources
- The role of telehealth in connecting with clients to ensure necessary services are continuing
- Lessons from the pandemic that will positively impact home health care going forward
Be sure to check out Help Choose Home for Season 3, Episode 1 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about home health care options.
The idea of having some type of monitoring system in the home of older adults has been around for decades. And while there are options available, many bring with them privacy concerns, as well as resistance from seniors both in feeling they are “being watched” and hesitancy to wear any type of monitor. Understanding these hurdles, John Robertson, founder and CEO of HomeEXCEPT, and his team, set out to create home sensors that would be noninvasive and that could provide improved health and safety outcomes. HomeEXCEPT’s ambient sensor technology was the Grand Prize winner of the AARP Innovation Champion Awards competition in 2017.
Ellie Hollander is the President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America and has been a long-time advocate for the health and wellness of vulnerable seniors throughout her career. One of the most fundamental needs is helping to ensure seniors receive proper nutrition. According to Hollander, research has shown that people who are malnourished age 14 years more than their current age, which in turn creates a variety of health issues. Hunger in Older Adults also found that 33% of older adults admitted to the hospital may be malnourished and that malnourishment can increase healthcare costs by 300%. Taken together, these statistics show the impact on a community when hunger is not addressed. Find out more about what Meals on Wheels is doing to provide seniors with nutritious meals, a friendly visit, and regular safety checks.
Many physicians face a conundrum. While their extensive years of schooling and training emphasize providing care, treatments, and intervention in order to maintain life, the truth is, death is inevitable and a reality we all must face. According to Dr. Timothy Ihrig, a palliative care specialist and chief medical officer at Crossroads Hospice, because the medical field is constructed around the idea of intervening at all costs, patients and families are often put into a position of prolonging death verses preserving life. Committed to patient-centered care, he believes palliative care has the potential to transcend and transform the healthcare system. He is a long standing advocate for treating patients with life-limiting illnesses according to their individual priorities and life goals, and encourages a reframing of the conversation around the ways in which we think about and discuss death and end of life. For him, it’s not about dying, but about living.
Although death is an experience that we all share, it is a topic that is largely taboo, and for which people are often wholly unprepared. Barbara Karnes, RN, an award-winning end of life educator and author, is working to change that taboo. According to Karnes, 90% of end of life care work is education. From educating the doctors and nurses to educating the home health caregivers and family caregivers, it’s important for everyone to understand that taking care of someone at the end of life is different than taking care of someone who will get better. Join this Help Choose Home podcast, hosted by Merrily Orsini, to learn more.
As those in the home healthcare industry know, the elder population is growing exponentially, as is their need for care. One of the more innovative programs available to help seniors age in place, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, has actually been around for more than 50 years. Shawn Bloom, President and CEO of the national PACE Association, talks about why the model is centered on the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in their community whenever possible.
According to Betty Greaver, RN, LMT, it’s a common myth that aging means a person gains weight, has chronic pain and can't continue living a productive life. Rather, Greaver says, and research shows, there are simple lifestyle changes that people can make in order to remain active and have the capacity to enjoy life to its fullest, no matter what a person’s age. Greaver says that it’s important to pay attention to your health in the middle years so that you have optimum health in your later years and she shares three lifestyle changes that are important in establishing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Paul Kusserow, President and Chief Executive Officer for Amedisys, the largest independent provider of home health, hospice and personal care services in the United States, recognizes the growing pains and opportunities associated with change in the home health industry. In this Help Choose Home interview, Kusserow highlights two changes in the home health industry: one, the introduction of patient data grouping models (PDGM) in January 2020, and two, the influence of technology. Both of these factors are not only reshaping the home health landscape, but are also impacting individual agencies and their approach to delivering quality care.
It’s an ongoing struggle for those in the home care industry–how do we better communicate the value and benefits of health care at home? For Tim Rogers, who serves as President and CEO for both the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina and the South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association, most of his 27-year professional career has been spent working to help home health care get its rightful due in the continuum of care. As an industry, we know there is a strong desire by older adults to age in place and to recover at home following a hospital stay. Rogers believes that referral sources understand this and can see the value of health care at home; however, he also sees that time and again, there are policies put into place that slow reimbursement or that cut benefits, making a referral to home health challenging.
Tarrah Lowry, president and CEO of Sangre de Cristo Hospice and Palliative Care in Pueblo, Colorado, emphasizes the importance of reaching out to hospice early and discussing goals of care during each health care interaction – from home health and palliative care to hospice care. The goals at each stage may change, but having these conversations early removes some of the discomfort that we inherently feel when discussing aging and death, and importantly, it enables the individual to make his/her goals known and provides the family with comfort knowing they are honoring their loved one’s wishes.
In this episode of Help Choose Home, we'll hear from Jamie Summerfelt, M.Ed, MSPT, president and CEO of Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) in Omaha, Nebraska. With more than 28 years of healthcare at home experience, Summerfelt is passionate about home care. Harnessing the power of community relationships is something that he sees as integral to the success of extending the capacity to provide health care at home. In establishing partnerships with hospitals, physicians and others in the community, home care agencies are integral to help ensure success in transitional and chronic care.
If there is one thing Joel Theisen, BSN, RN is passionate about, it’s developing proactive, preventative long-term care for older adults. Theisen is chief executive officer and founder of Lifesprk, an innovative home care company based in Minnesota that is focused on bringing Theisen’s passion to life. According to Theisen, home care and health care in general have traditionally been reactive–meeting a medical crisis and providing sick care. Theisen aims to change this approach by looking at care longitudinally, from a proactive standpoint.
In this Help Choose Home podcast you'll hear from Luke James, chief strategy officer of home health and hospice at Encompass Health, as he discusses the ways in which predictive analytics are both informing home care strategies for clients as well as predicting effective client care in the future.
With more than 20 years of experience in the home care industry, Wanda Coley has combined her deep knowledge of finance, business development, payor contracting and post-acute strategies to become a highly-regarded expert in the field. Join us for this episode of Help Choose Home where Coley explains why she believes that nothing is more beneficial for clients than having the opportunity to age in place or recover from a hospitalization or illness in the comfort of home.
In this episode of Help Choose Home, Taney Hammill, CEO of the Aging Life Care Association and the National Academy of Certified Care Managers, explains what it is that geriatric care managers, or life care professionals, do and offers advice about at what point in the process an aging life care professional should be contacted.
Every day, companies and organizations generate copious amounts of data. “Big data” though isn’t so much about the amount of data generated, but rather, what a company or organization does with the data. In analyzing data, businesses can use those insights to save money, to target marketing and advertising dollars, or, in the case of home health care, to better understand patient care and patient health outcomes. Join our discussion with Dr. Max Topaz to learn about research he is conducting specifically focused on home health care, with the goal of using data to help clinicians make better decisions about patient care, and to help home care patients achieve better health outcomes.
In the health care industry, communication is vitally important, not only in providing specifics about a patient’s condition, but also in detailing the type of care needed after a stay in the hospital. Dr. Christine D. Jones is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver, where she is the Director of Care Transitions for the Hospital Medicine Group. Over time, Dr. Jones has seen an evolution in the role hospitalists – internal medicine-trained physicians who care for general medical patients in hospitals – play in the care and communication on behalf of patients. Where it was once common for a patient to be given a discharge summary with instructions to follow up with his/her primary care physician, now hospitalists are routinely working to make the follow-up appointments prior to the patient being discharged.
The Help Choose Home podcast series is an educational resource, offering seniors practical information about safely aging in place. Hosted by Merrily Orsini of corecubed, an elder care marketing solutions company, this episode features Peter Ross discussing the ways in which home care impacts health care and the growing role of home care and adult day care as the population ages.
The Help Choose Home podcast series is an educational resource that explores senior home health care options. This episode features Holly Chaffee, speaking about why offering hospice and palliative services helps patients, families and providers. The series is hosted by Merrily Orsini, President and CEO of corecubed, an award-winning marketing company that specializes in marketing and design for home care agencies.
The Help Choose Home podcast series is an educational resource that explores senior home health care options. This episode features Jennifer Schiller, speaking about the importance of research in the home healthcare industry. The series is hosted by Merrily Orsini, President and CEO of corecubed, an award-winning marketing company that specializes in marketing and design for home care agencies.
This Help Choose Home podcast explores home health care options for families and their loved ones. This episode features Joanne Cunningham, who discusses the advocacy and educational opportunities that are positioning the home healthcare industry for the future. The series is hosted by Merrily Orsini, President and CEO of corecubed, a marketing company that specializes in SEO and websites for homecare agencies.
The Help Choose Home podcast series offers practical information about adult home care services for families and medical professionals. Hosted by Merrily Orsini of corecubed, a home care marketing solutions company, this episode features Tracy Clark discussing the value of home care in reducing hospital readmissions and emergency department visits.
The Help Choose Home podcast series provides information on the value of professional home care. Season 2 kicks off and features host, Merrily Orsini, discussing the importance of educating referral sources about the benefits of home care. Orsini, president/CEO of corecubed, leads a team of industry experts providing elder care marketing solutions to home care agencies.
As we enter the holiday season, families will have the opportunity to spend concentrated time visiting aging loved ones. While of course providing the backdrop for quality time together, the holidays also are the prime time to assess how seniors are doing and whether there might be care needs that should be uncovered and addressed.
In this Help Choose Home podcast, Merrily Orsini, home care marketing expert for corecubed, outlines five key factors to consider while enjoying the holidays with older adults.
The Help Choose Home podcast offers families information on professional home care services. This episode features Brent Korte, speaking about how hospice can positively impact families facing a life-limiting illness. The series is hosted by Merrily Orsini, president and CEO of corecubed, an award-winning homecare marketing solutions company.
The Help Choose Home podcast series educates families about adult home care services and options to age safely in place. Hosted by Merrily Orsini of corecubed, an industry leader offering marketing strategies for elder care agencies, this episode features Katie Wehri discussing what to consider when a loved one needs hospice care.
The Help Choose Home podcast series provides information on home care options. This episode features Theresa Schmidt, speaking about benefits of hospice care. The series is hosted by Merrily Orsini, president and CEO of corecubed, who leads a team of industry experts providing elder care marketing solutions to home care agencies.
As the editor-in-chief of Today’s Caregiver magazine, Gary Barg utilizes his magazine, Caregiving.com, and the Fearless Caregiver conferences, as platforms to provide support and guidance through the shared experience of caregiving. Barg likens the family caregiver to a CEO. In applying a business term to describe a family caregiver, the complexity of his or her role instantly becomes obvious. To learn about ways in which family caregivers can be supported in their roles, listen to the full interview on Help Choose Home.
In this episode of Help Choose Home, Merrily Orsini talks with Katie Roper, CEO of Catenary Consulting and home care industry expert. Roper discusses the specifics to look for when selecting in home care for your senior loved one and the importance of being informed.
Allen Hager, Executive Chairman of Risemark, founded one of the largest franchise platforms in the industry, which you may know as Right at Home. Risemark consists of three wholly owned subsidiaries including Right at Home, Right at Home International, and IKOR that serve more than 500 territories globally. Allen Hager has a perspective on the healthcare at home industry that spans decades and includes trends and opportunities. He has some special messages for consumers and also leads the way in solving problems that get in the way of care at home. When I asked him for a vision of the future, he replied, “ Much of the future of homecare will be driven by the healthcare systems need for low cost, high-value services.”
Joanne Cunningham, President/CEO, Home Care Association of New York State for 11 years now, is leading her state's home health agencies to advance home and community-based services and promote high-quality care in the home. She also always looks for ways to expand opportunities for the home care provider community. She is very active and engaged in policy and advocacy for healthcare at home as well. Home health care is complex. Having some understanding of how the health care delivery system works vis a vis healthcare at home, is just another way of helping to understand how to choose home as a care option.
Matt Hansen, who has a doctorate in physical therapy and serves as General Manager for Homespire, a new Intermountain Healthcare Company based in Utah, is our guest today. Matt’s passion is in population health in addition to his provision of skilled Lifecare Management and Personal Skill services in the home. Matt Hansen uses his personal insights, education, and training to take a different approach to healthcare at home. Like many of our interviewees, Matt understands the importance of care management to success for the long term at home. Patient engagement is key to making positive strides in care at home.
Maryglenn Boals has spent her entire career focused on healthcare, insurance and the challenges faced by the aging and disabled. LTCi is her career path and her passion. She is a former licensed nursing home administrator, recognized locally and nationally for her work in the field of Aging. She is certified by the Corporation for Long Term Care, and has trained with one of the country’s top elder law attorneys. Maryglenn holds a certificate in gerontology. But, her personal life experience has taught her how valuable knowing the ins and outs of long-term care can be. Understanding long-term care insurance coverage is a first step in appreciating how it can be used in planning for care at home.
Laura Page-Greifinger, BSN, MPA CEO of QIRT- Quality in Real Time. Laura has worked in home care and hospice for over 30 years as a nurse, supervisor, and clinical consultant. Her passion for home health care began in a rotation while in nursing school and that passion has continued to influence her work over the past few decades. A focus on the patient as an individual with individual needs starts with all care providers in their workflow processes or operations that create a patient journey from initial referral through reimbursement. Because home health care is 24/7/365 QIRT's employees come from 44 states and most work remotely. The company works 24/7/365 days a year.
Dr. Steven Landers a certified family doctor and geriatrician who is currently President and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, Inc., the nation’s second-largest not-for-profit home health care organization servicing New Jersey and Ohio.
Dr. Landers is a graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Landers has authored several articles on the role of home care in national publications, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medicine. Dr. Landers most recently joined the Huffington Post as a regular blogger focusing on health policy, family caregivers, and nurses and finding ways to improve quality and value in American health care.
Laurie M. Orlov, a tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate, is the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch which provides market research that provides thought leadership, analysis, and guidance about technologies and services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice. In addition to her technology background and years as a technology industry analyst, Laurie has served as a volunteer long-term care ombudsman and is certified in Geriatric Care Management from the University of Florida.
This is the second part of a 2-part series with Arnie Cisneros, President of Home Health Strategic Management. Our discussion covers many areas that affect quality in home health care. Arnie's primary focus now is on quality, and he was instrumental in spearheading one of the nation’s first Accountable Care Organizations in an era when the government is looking to lower costs while maintaining quality.
Arnie Cisneros, President of Home Health Strategic Management, is our guest today on Help Choose Home. Arnie has been involved in home care, as a Physical Therapist and consultant for over 30 years. His primary focus now is on quality, and he was instrumental in spearheading one of the nation’s first Accountable Care Organizations in an era when the government is looking to lower costs while maintaining quality.
Peter Sosnow, Integration Leader at Humana at Home. Peter was literally born into a home care family as his father, Larry Sosnow started Patient Care in New York and New Jersey several decades ago. He has been on the care managed side of home care with Senior Bridge and now is at Humana at Home helping change how the world receives and delivers healthcare at home. CMS has just announced that Medicare Advantage plans will start covering personal care services in 2019. Humana has been ahead of the game on using care management and personal care services to keep costs down in some of their markets.
Jeannee Parker Martin, President and CEO of Leading Age California, and a long time industry leader as an equity partner is The Corridor Group for over 25 years. Martin has a masters in public health from Yale University and is considered one of the thought leaders in the healthcare at home industry.
Join Matt Hughes, Vice President of Business Development for the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) as he discusses the role that accreditation plays in the industry and how that affects consumers who are looking to choose home care. ACHC is a nonprofit accreditation organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986. ACHC has CMS Deeming Authority for Home Health, Hospice, and DMEPOS and a quality management system that is ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Cathy Cress. MSW, talks about how using a geriatric care manager can make care easier as an aging life care professional can assist with difficult care decisions. Should mom and dad remain at home? Move elsewhere? What kinds of options are available? A teacher, a communicator and a caring family member, Cathy shares professional and personal stories to help others choose home.
David Totaro, as Chief Governmental Affairs Officer for Bayada Home Health Care, also serves as Chair of the Partnership for Medicaid Home Based Care. He is active all across the United States in advocating at the state and local level to gain awareness and support for healthcare at home.
Dr. Warren Hebert is a long time nurse in home care, who now runs an association for healthcare at home in Louisiana and also teaches at Loyola University. His insights into providing care in the home setting are invaluable.
Helping choose home when a care need arises depends on the care that is possible to receive in the home. Jennifer Gibson is a seasoned home care nurse who loves her job and helps explain about home care to a consumer audience.
Deborah Hoyt, the President and CEO of the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home, has been actively advocating for home care for years. Because home care is the lowest cost, and usually highest quality option for care, the system of reimbursement needs to switch from bricks and mortar to care at home.
The elder care industry continues to grow and change to meet the needs of our older population, many of whom wish to age or recover following a hospitalization in familiar surroundings. In-home care for aging adults is a readily available, convenient, and affordable option. And thanks to technology, in-home care can now easily be monitored, providing health care providers with up-to-date information on vital statistics, well-being, and more. Merrily Orsini, president and CEO of corecubed, is a 30-year veteran of the home care industry. According to Orsini, the number one thing families need to understand when considering care for an older adult is when home care is appropriate.
In the first episode of the Help Choose Home podcast, Shiela McMackin explains that years ago, when senior loved ones needed care, there were few choices and quality home care was oftentimes not one of them. Nursing homes or family members typically pieced together a plan based on necessity. At this time, care management and home care were in their infancy. But thanks to dedicated professionals like Ms. McMackin, the industry has exploded. Today, there is a variety of quality home care options for families who are looking for guidance and assistance when choosing the best care for their elderly loved one. Care managers, according to McMackin, work with families to get a sense of whether in-home care is the best option for their senior loved one. Some individuals may thrive being at home and maintaining a familiar routine. Other individuals may need the social aspects offered at a retirement or assisted living community. A care manager presents various options to the family and helps them find a solution that is best for their senior loved one. McMackin encourages families who are considering in-home care to choose an agency that participates in the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA). This organization represents more than 2,700 companies that are committed to providing quality home care for seniors.
About the Speakers Merrily Orsini is president and CEO of home care marketing agency corecubed. Sheila McMackin, LCSW, is president of Wellspring Personal Care in Chicago and founder of what is now the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA).