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Health VNA Begins New Program
to Help Newburyport Seniors
(09/05/07)
Newburyport, This
spring Home Health VNA launched telephone
reassurance program geared towards reducing
hospitalizations, Keeping You Home & Healthy.
This new program is a pre- and post-discharge telephone
follow up and information service for elderly Newburyport
patients receiving home care from Home Health VNA.
This program acts as a safety net for
our patients, said Celeste Dalton, Newburyport
Branch Manager for Home Health VNA. We want to
ensure that our patients, especially frail patients that
live alone, continue their recuperation as planned and
maintain their independence in the home.
Nurse Nancy Paquin, RN, BSN, is the friendly voice
patients hear on the other end of the telephone.
She calls patients getting ready for discharge from
services on a day they are not scheduled for a
visit. She also checks in with those who have
already been discharged to make sure they are doing well
and progressing as planned.
Paquin makes a call to the patient to check on their well
being. She offers nursing advice, and acts as a
knowledgeable resource for patients who might have
questions about their recovery. Questions are
geared to assess for changes in their condition,
including how they are managing their medications.
Often, Paquins call may trigger a concern they may
have inadvertently forgotten to mention to their visiting
nurse.
The response Ive gotten has been very
positive, said Paquin. The patients
have really enjoyed the call and appreciate the chance to
ask questions about their recovery.
They are always so thankful that we have checked in on
them. We cover a lot of different subjects in our
conversation making sure they have everything they
need from medications to food and we closely monitor any
changes in their condition or concerns they may have.
The new program has received generous funding from two
local foundations. The Newburyport Society for the
Relief of Aged Women gave $10,000 to start the program,
and the Mosley Fund of Social Services provided
$5,750. This support has been crucial to getting
the program off the ground. Patients residing in
Newburyport over the age of 65 who are at-risk for
re-hospitalization receive calls from Paquin.
Our goals for the program are to reduce
re-hospitalization, provide additional support and
reassurance and ensure a continuity of care of our
patients, said Dalton.
This program enhances our customer service and
provides an opportunity for the patient to ask questions
they may have forgotten to ask during their discharge
process. Many times a patient wont call a health
care provider with a question or concern. This program is
an important tool that will ensure patients avoid any
emergency situations.
The Newburyport Society for the Relief of Aged Women also
donated an additional $15,000 to the agency to
specifically fund care for women in Newburyport over the
age of 65. This donation will provide care to women
in the city of who are uninsured or underinsured or have
few or no resources to access the medical care they
require.
We are happy to support Home Health VNA in their
work, said Elizabeth Swanson, from the Newburyport
Society for the Relief of Aged Women. The
services they provide to the women of Newburyport are
critical for elderly women in this region and directly in
line with our groups mission.
Its amazing what a difference a simple phone
call to an elderly patient recuperating at home can make,
said Dalton. The generous support of these
two organizations has really made a difference in the
lives of some of our most at-risk Newburyport patients.
Home Health VNA is recognized as the regional leader in
the delivery of home and community-based medical and
supportive care to patients in Greater Newburyport.
The agency is affiliated with HomeCare, Inc. and
Merrimack Valley Hospice.
Together, the three agencies serve more than 80
communities throughout Northeastern Massachusetts, the
Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. Visit
them on the web at www.homehealthvna.org.
If you have any informatin about this story please
email us at valleypatriot@aol.com
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The September 2007
Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 15,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
North Andover,
Methuen, Haverhill, Chelmsford, Georgetown, Groveland,
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Westford, Acton, and Lowell.
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