Common Questions
- Why would a person need home health care services instead of going to a hospital?
- Home health services provide an array of skilled care by nurses and therapists. Often a person receives home health care after discharge from a hospital or rehabilitation facility or after a visit to the physician. We care for people in the home when hospital care is no longer necessary or as an alternative to having to go into an inpatient facility. Most often, patients would rather receive care in their own homes, whether it is wound care, medication management, IV administration or cardiac assessment.
- Who pays for home care and hospice services?
- Medicare and Medicaid, managed care organizations and other insurance companies, pay for home care and hospice services. If there is no payer for services, VNA of Middlesex-East does not refuse to service individuals based on inability to pay.
- What exactly is hospice care?
- Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments. Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain and symptom management, as well as spiritual, emotional and bereavement care.
- How can I be certain I will receive quality care from VNA of Middlesex-East?
- VNA of Middlesex-East has a rigorous Performance Improvement Program that ensures that we maintain the highest standard of care. We solicit feedback on patient satisfaction through surveys and participate in Medicare and Medicaid program's Outcome Based Quality Improvement which can be assessed on the government website www.medicare.gov/HHCompare.
- Why should I choose VNA of Middlesex-East for my home care provider?
- VNA of Middlesex-East care consistently rates above average on government mandated outcomes and patient surveys. We have been named as one of the top 5% home care providers in the country by Outcome Concept Systems (OCS). This review selected Medicare-certified agencies whose performances are among the highest in the nation. The areas measured were quality of care, and improvement and financial performance. Publicly available data was used that included the Home Health Compare report and quality improvement and financial performance measures from Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Cost Reports. Only seven agencies in Massachusetts were in the top 5%.
To learn more about what sets us apart from other home care agencies
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