Premier Home Care introduces the only ‘In-Home monitoring’ service in Lamar County

Honey, I’m home…with Premier Home Care & Rehab

Premier Home Care & Rehab and Honeywell HomMed Collaborate to Reduce Healthcare Costs and Improve Patient Care.

Honeywell HomMed, a global leader in telehealth and remote patient care, is collaborating with Premier Home Care & Rehab to implement a comprehensive telehealth solution designed to streamline Premier Home Care & Rehab’s employee workflows and improve overall patient care.

To fully leverage the benefits associated with telehealth, Premier Home Care & Rehab chose to work with Honeywell HomMed based on its ability to provide a full-continuum technology solution – from high-tech mobile patient monitors to end-to-end managed services – as well as its wealth of experience in the healthcare industry.

“Honeywell HomMed is committed to providing our customers with the best solutions in telehealth monitoring,” said Terry Duesterhoeft, president of Honeywell HomMed. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with Premier Home Care & Rehab, working together to improve patient care and outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs through enhanced workflow efficiencies.”

HomMed Health Monitoring System

What are the benefits of In-Home monitoring services?

For the Physician:

• Helps break the cycle of emergency care and hospital re-admission for patients with chronic illness (CHF, COPD, Diabetes, Etc.)
• Increase patient compliance with the treatment plan by reinforcing the importance of medications, diet and other interventions.
• Helps the physicians identify the need for additional office visits to adjust treatments.
• Provides the physician with trend reports of clinical progress for documentation in the medical record as requested.
• Hospital-grade equipment is more accurate than the scales and monitoring devices used by patients in the home. As a result, the physician is able to detect subtle changes in clinical status and adjust treatment before a patient’s condition deteriorates.

For the Patient & Family:

• Encourages patient independence by reinforcing the behavior and lifestyle changes needed to promote health.
• Gives concerned family members the peace of mind that a professional nurse is “keeping an eye” on the patient on a daily basis and communicating important information to the physician.
• Fosters active patient participation in the plan of care, producing better outcomes.

For the Home Health Agency:

• Allows the Home Health Agency to monitor the vital signs and clinical status of patients on a daily and PRN basis.

For more information, you can contact Chris Johnson, Administrator of Premier Home Care & Rehab at 903-737-9010.

A century plus one!

Ms. Effie Weaver, of Paris, celebrated her 101^st birthday recently. While the Titanic hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912, Effie Weaver was born in Oklahoma, on April 14, 1912.

Ms. Effie Weaver

She moved with her family to Texas. She Married the late J.D. Weaver and worked in Denison as a nurse aide in operating rooms and labor and delivery. Ms. Weaver enjoys spending time with family and friends and watching The Price is Right.

Reaching the age of 101 is quite a feat, and being Ms. Weaver is a patient at Premier Home Care & Rehab, the staff wanted to help their patient celebrate that milestone birthday. They ordered a cake, provided food, and presented gifts for Ms. Weaver at their office on Monday, April 15^th.

With many friends and family of Ms. Weaver gathering for this occasion, there was something extra special that day. The day was about honoring a lady who had been through an enriched life for over a century. It was a very special day for her, and Premier Home Care & Rehab felt privileged to share it with her.

“I don’t want to get old,” she said. “But it’s here and I have to accept it. I am thankful.”

Grieving loved ones need our help

With Christmas time, many people will celebrate yearly traditions, gatherings with family and friends and the general good feelings associated with the season, but for some, the holidays generate feelings of sadness and dread.

For those who have lost a loved one during the past year, the holidays may emphasize their grief, according to Shiles Hubbell, Bereavement Coordinator at Cypress Basin Hospice.

“Many times friends and family members of those affected by at a loss as to what to say or do to support their grieving loved one during the holidays” explains Hubbell.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offer eight practical tips from hospice professionals:

1. Be supportive of the way the person chooses to handle the holidays. Some may wish to follow traditions; others may choose to change their rituals. Remember, there is no right way or wrong way to handle the holidays.
2. Offer to help the person with baking and/or cleaning. Both tasks can be overwhelming when someone is experiencing acute grief.
3.  Invite the person to attend a religious service with you and your family.
4. Invite your loved one to your home for the holidays.
5. Donate a gift or money in memory of the person’s loved one. Remind the person that his or her special person is not forgotten.
6. Never tell someone that he or she should be “over it.”  Instead, give the person hope that, eventually, he or she will enjoy the holidays again.
7. If he or she wants to talk about the deceased loved one or feelings associated with the loss, LISTEN. Active listening from friends is an important step to helping him or her heal. Don’t worry about being conversational…. just listen.
8. Remind the person you are thinking of him or her and the loved one who died. Cards, phone calls and visits are great ways to stay in touch.

In general, the best way to help those who are grieving during the holidays is to let them know you care. They need to be remembered, and they need to know their loved ones are remembered, too.

Hubbell emphasize that friends and family members should never be afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, because making an effort and showing concern will be appreciated.

Hospice is a philosophy of care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. A team of professionals and trained volunteers offer care and comfort to patients and their families when a cure is no longer possible. Fully covered by Medicare and most insurance companies, hospice services are available at home or in a facility such as a nursing home or assisted living.

Cypress Basin Hospice is a non-profit agency that has provided support since 1986 throughout Northeast Texas for those patients and their families who are undergoing the effects of life-limiting illness.  Besides their bereavement camp for children (Camp Brave Heart), Cypress Basin Hospice offers a wide range of grief support programs to families and individuals, whether or not they are Cypress Basin Hospice clients.

For more information or if you know a person who would benefit from professional grief support, please contact Cypress Basin Hospice at 903-577-1510 or 888-429-2966, or go to www: cbhospice.org.

“Home is Where the Heart Is” – November is ‘Home Care & Hospice’ month

“Home is where the heart is” is a phrase that has been heard by many of us for most of our lives.  Given the growing number of home care and hospice facilities around Texas, the phrase is starting to take on a whole new meaning.

With this as the theme, the Lamar County Commissioners’ Court has proclaimed the month of November 2012 ‘Home Care & Hospice Month’ for Lamar County.

The proclamation ‘encourages the support and participation of all citizens in learning more about the home care and hospice philosophy of care for the elderly, disabled and terminally ill.’

‘Whereas, home care services provide high quality and compassionate health care services to those in need, especially at times of community or personal health care crisis; and’

‘Whereas, home care is the most preferred method of health care delivery among disabled, elderly and chronically ill individuals eager to live independently in their own homes as long as they possibly can; and’

‘Whereas, home care in Texas is a growing alternative to hospitalization or other institution-based forms of health care for acute and chronic illnesses, providing care to hundreds of thousands of Texans each year; and’

‘Whereas, hospice care providers humane and comforting support for terminally ill patients and their families, including pain control, palliative medical care, and social, emotional and spiritual services; and’

‘Whereas, hospice fulfills basic human needs of feeling comfortable in familiar surroundings and of attaining physical and emotional peace during the last stage of life; and’

‘Whereas, there is a need increase public discussion about advances in pain control and care options available to individuals of all ages races, and backgrounds who are at the end of life; and’

‘Whereas, the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice, and home care and hospice providers in Texas have declared November 2012 as “Home Care & Hospice Month” with the theme of “Home is Where The Heart Is” and are calling on all Texans to observe this occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities.’

Doris Dollins, Director of Nurses at Premier Hospice (pictured to the left), attended a recent Commissioners’ Court meeting to present to the Commissioners a description of hospice care and the benefits it and other home care services offer.

Both Commissioner Malone and Judge Superville said that they had family members in hospice care and agreed that it was a very valuable and necessary form of health care.

A Skilled Nursing Facility provides a number of valuable services

One of the places that many people must be treated is a hospital. A hospital stay may be necessary for a variety of reasons. The help that staff members at these facilities provide is extremely necessary for the well-being of those who are dealing with illnesses and other health-related issues.

There are times, however, when people are not really sick enough to stay at the hospital for a long period of time, despite the fact that they need constant care and looking after.

Fortunately, there is a place for them to go. This place is called a skilled nursing facility. These are places where medical professionals are constantly on watch, making sure that their patients are in a stable or good health condition.

For those who are not necessarily familiar with the term skilled nursing facility, they are more commonly known as a short-term rehabilitation unit. While these places are mostly associated with the elderly, that does not mean they are the only people who are allowed to be treated there. An individual who has been involved in a car accident, or even a sports-related injury that has to undergo surgery, could need to go to a skilled nursing facility for their rehabilitation services.

Medicare and most commercial insurance companies will cover the cost of the invaluable services provided at a skilled nursing facility. An array of services such as dietary consultation, skilled nursing, social services, recreational activities, and much more are offered at a skilled unit.

Additionally, staff members will help their patients with tasks such as getting dressed, eating, grooming, and bathing. This is extremely important because they may not have anyone else in their family who is available or willing to take on these tasks. Therefore, by being in a place that will provide them with the necessary assistance, it will help them to not only be well-groomed and well taken care of, but also help to insure that they are, at the very least, able to feel good about themselves because they won’t be neglecting their appearance.

As you can see, a skilled nursing facility is more than just a rehab unit, as many people envision. They can provide a complete continuum of care for the elderly, along with anyone else who may be experiencing a condition where they are no longer able to take care of themselves.

Whether it is physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social services, hygiene assistance, or other medical care, Paris Skilled Nursing Facility – located at PRMC’s South Campus on the 7th floor –  provides the highest level of quality care and assistance for you or your loved one.