Home Care Daily - National Home Care Industry News

It’s no secret that technology is part of the major driver helping to improve care for millions of clients relying on home health care services. There are numerous technological innovations, including devices and apps, that allow people to stay in close communication with their doctors and nurses and also monitor their health.

Worrying about how Medicaid reimbursement cuts could affect the in-home health care sector is certainly reasonable, especially after the last round of cuts forced too many independent agencies to either sell out to larger companies or close their operations altogether. 

It’s a sad state of affairs when an elderly and/or disabled adult, especially somebody who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, is abused, and while the home care industry as a whole has fought diligently to eradicate these abuses and neglect of its clients, there continue to be cases that impact the lives of not just the abused client and their family, but the industry across the country. 

With the rising demand for in-home care support services, especially home health care in the form of visiting nurses, there are several challenges that need to be faced. One of them involves a shortage of available visiting nurses. 

One of the components of the Hippocratic Oath doctors must take before they begin practicing medicine is to “do no harm.” Unfortunately, due to the nature of modern medicine, insurance, limitations, and much more, some doctors have long felt they violate that component because they’re unable to truly support their patients the way they’d prefer. Now, though, more doctors are beginning to turn to a patient focused care model and that’s including home care support services. 

The VA (Veteran’s Administration) as long been criticized for its bureaucracy and failures to support the veterans it was designed to help most. In many cases, the failures within the VA system involve outdated systems, understaffed agencies, and poorly funded or managed organizations. 

Over the past decade, a lot of things have changed within the home care industry, especially public perception. Within the medical community, hospitals, doctors, and other professionals have seen the inherent value home care offers many of their aging and disabled patients. 

It’s not often that the Washington Department of Social and Help Services shuts down and in-home care agency, but that’s exactly what happened 16 months ago. Now, the sister company of the one that had been shut down, Aacres Washington, is under scrutiny.