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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CARING FOR THE ELDERLY + + Need for Increased Utilization of Post-Acute Services By Debby Berkey, MS, RN W ITH PAYMENT REFORM imminent in the United States for all healthcare providers, now is the time for all service providers to better understand and utilize the components of the healthcare continuum to provide quality care while also minimizing healthcare expenses. Home care services, or "post-acute services," are a crucial component of the healthcare continuum for providing care that is appropriate for patients with various diseases and co-morbidities. Patients prefer to remain in their own homes, and there are many benefi ts to using home care, including earlier dis- charge from the hospital; faster recovery; and reduced hospital readmissions and emergency room visits. Home care even saves money, as the average hospital stay costs Medicare $1,500 a day, versus the average home care visit which costs Medicare $150 a day, according to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. Home care agencies do all this by rely- ing on a team of experienced professionals to provide compassionate, high-tech care. Post-acute services include + skilled intermittent nursing care, where a nurse case manages the care + rehabilitative therapies for those recovering from joint replacements or strokes + telemonitoring of weight, blood pres- sure, heart rate, and pulse oximetry to manage patients with heart failure and other cardiopulmonary conditions, and prevent hospital readmissions related to exacerbation of symptoms + home health aide assistance and homemaking services + home medical equipment and devices that aid in post-surgery recovery and foster safety and independence in the home + home intravenous infusion of antibiot- ics, pain management medications or life sustaining total parenteral nutrition + palliative care consults for patients needing relief of chronic symptoms to improve comfort and quality of life + hospice services for end of life care for those in their fi nal days and months. Achieving healthcare quality is a complex endeavor in many aspects; our healthcare system today offers a wide continuum of care options, all of which together constitute comprehensive care for patients wherever and whenever their condition warrants. Referrals to post-acute services are a key for patients wishing to receive appropriate quality care while remaining in their homes. Debby Berkey is the vice president for the Hospice & Palliative Care of Visiting Nurse Service and Advanced Infusion Services in Akron. n Did You Know ... H OSPICE AND PALLIATIVE Medicine has been a rec- ognized subspecialty since 2006. Working together, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and the American Board of Hospice and Pal l iat ive Medicine (ABHPM) achieved recog- nition for the subspecialty of hospice and palliative medicine five years ago by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Today 3,075 physicians are certified by ABMS and AOA. The Joint Commission's new Advanced Certifi cation for Palliative Care launched September 1st. Certification will be available for in-patient programs within Joint Commission accredited hospitals that provide full-time pallia- tive care. The Joint Commission defi nes palliative care as care that identifies, prevents, and treats suffering by identifi ca- tion and assessment of the physical, psychosocial, intellectual and spiritual needs of the patient. Additional eligibility details and certifi cation expectations are available on The Joint Commission's web site, www.jointcommission.org/certifi cation/ palliative_care.aspx. The new palliative care standards are available for download at www.jointcommission.org/palliative standards. The above information came from http:// www.aahpm.org/certification/default/ index.html n NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 MDNEWS.COM MD NEWS Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21