People happier, healthier receiving care at home
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

November is Home Health Month as well as Hospice Month according to a declaration by Texas Governor Rick Perry.

"We know people are healthier and happier when they can remain at home," said Judy Tvrz, RN and executive director of Texas Home Health.

Although Perry's press release cites the growth of home care as a recent development, Tvrz has been engaged in the field for more than 20 years, and Texas Home Health dates back to 1968, probably one of the oldest in Texas.

"Studies show people get better faster when they are in their own environment," Tvrz said. "When someone checks into a hospital, the first thing they ask is when can I go home?" With home health, the answer is sooner, according to Tvrz.

"More and more insurance companies are willing to approve home health care because we can take care of two people at home for the price of one in a nursing home," she said.

The purpose in home health is to set up a treatment plan and ensure patients are taking medications and doing what they need to do to manage their condition.

For example, for a diabetic patient home care workers will monitor progress and set up a lesson plan to teach the patient how to manage meals and medication.

"We'll look at their abilities and their family support system. It's more difficult for a blind person, for instance, to learn to administer insulin," Tvrz said. "But the goal in most cases would be to have them

able to manage their disease within 60 days."

Other diseases might require physical, occupational or speech therapy. Home health may include social work, nutritional counseling or home health aides. Increasingly, home health is merging with the concept of hospice care as well.

Tvrz said the goal is to

allow people the independence and freedom of "aging in place" for as long as possible.

Perry said, "Home care represents one of the most positive developments in medical care today: the growing use of inhome care for individuals recovering from illness or injury, for disabled individuals continuing with their lives and for those who choose to spend their final days at home."

For a complete copy or more information on home care and hospice programs, visit the Texas Association for Home Care, www.tahc.org.