Hello Everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to recognize our entire VNA team during National Home Care and Hospice Month. Each November the home care and hospice community honors the many nurses, therapists, home health aides and all members of the home care and hospice teams for the amazing difference that you make for our patients and their families.
Today more than ever, home care plays a central role in the healthcare system, and the need for community-based care continues to rise. Across the nation, 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. While our overall population in Western New York is projected to shrink slowly over the next few years, the 65+ age group is growing annually by about 2.2% with about 21% of our population already over the age of 65. Additional growth is projected in the 85-year-old-plus population.
The shift to and demand for care in the community continues to grow as providers, payers and patients look for additional ways to support and meet patient needs at home; and with healthcare costs continuing to rise, home health care offers the greatest cost savings to the healthcare system.
Policymakers, too, more clearly understand home care’s pivotal role in the healthcare system. Legislation introduced in New York State last year seeks to prioritize home care by renewing the core focus on home care and the accessibility of home care services as a state public policy priority. This includes providing an explicit statute to ensure that all individuals, when medically appropriate and before referral for institutionalization, are first offered the option of being assessed and considered for care at home.
We all know that home health care remains the preferred choice for patients; they want to be in their own surroundings with their families and pets, sleeping in their own beds. Home care helps support our patients' resolve, their desire for community life and their independence. Whether working in the field, in the office or other support departments, the work that you do allows patients to have that option.
Let me end by saying how proud I am of the work that you all do each day to meet the needs of our community. Thank you for providing the highest quality of care with exceptional patient experience to each person you encounter. The power of one touch, one interaction, one moment of caring and one moment of healing are moments that our patients remember and that make a real difference in their lives. Please take a moment to reflect on the meaningful work that you all do. Nothing compares to the one-on-one care that each VNA patient receives!
Lisa
Lisa C. Greisler
President
Visiting Nursing Association of WNY/VNA Home Care Services
650 Airborne Parkway
Cheektowaga, NY 14225