A Personal Approach to Home Health Services
A conversation with St. Clare Home Health Director, Cheri Carlsen.
When you open your home to St. Clare’s home health aides, you’re choosing a program that balances professional services with personal care very well. And nothing embodies those values more than our Home Health Director, Cheri Carlsen. So, we sat down with Cheri to ask her some of the most common questions about in-home health care, no matter what stage you might be at in your own journey.
What are home health care services?
Home health care services are services provided by a professional that enable people to stay in their home for as long as possible – and do so safely. Home health care services can also build a smoother transition into a long-term care when and if the need comes up.
At what point do you recommend a person should consider home health care services?
Those determinations are made on an individual level. Really it’s based on each person’s situation, their level of support from family or friends and if there are any current safety concerns. If anyone is thinking about home health care services, we always recommend signing up for a free assessment. This allows us to come into the home, talk to the client and their family and get an understanding of what a person’s current needs are.
Is a family care provider the best option for in home health care?
They can be. When we’re doing that assessment we look for signs of burnout or stress from the current care provider and we’re also able to note any home safety concerns like falls, wanderings, physical changes. All of this gives us the information we need to build a home health care support plan that fits into the life of our clients and their family. If they don’t need us in the home full-time yet or are more interested in a gradual move from family care to professional home health care services, we can do that too.
Who decides what home health care services a client should receive?
Usually it’s a family member or physician acting as a referral for the person needing in-home services, but our top priority is getting that introduction right. We want our clients to always feel comfortable in our care and trust us so we can provide the services they need. To do that we always take the time to explain all of their options, including what services they would like for us to provide – shower and dressing assistance, medication preparation, housekeeping, that kind of thing – and leave it up to them on how often they want to see us.
How often should they expect a home health aide to visit?
We take into account their wishes and balance it with their medical and personal needs. We could have someone visiting their home multiple times per week, weekly or monthly. It just depends. Even before the pandemic, though, it has always been part of our standard of care to limit interactions to the same home health aide team. This is one of the biggest differences between us vs. county run programs. We are able to provide more personalized care with staff and clients largely being one on one. Our experienced Home Health Aides keep the care consistent and our RNs, who regularly supervise, keep the standard of care high.
Are there any changes to that due to COVID-19?
We have increased our standard safety procedures like doing screenings before any services – temperature checks, health surveys, etc. All of our staff also use their masks, goggles and hand sanitize as much as possible. We encourage all of our clients to do the same and our staff is also a great resource for education of these habits to keep up in other areas of their life too. We definitely still support and recommend home health services, really more now than ever. On top of the usual services we provide, having that social interaction and personal care continues to be really beneficial to our clients.
How long are people usually in home health care?
Throughout my career, I’ve supported clients in home health care programs sometimes for years. Our main goal is always to keep people safely and comfortably in their own home for as long as possible. But that’s really why I love doing the work I do so much. Because I’m able to get to know my clients. I get to help them maintain their independence and have that flexibility with them one on one.
How long have you been working in the home health care industry?
I have been in the nursing profession (in one way or another) for over 30 years. I started as a Nursing Assistant, then from an LPN to an RN. That background has given our clients peace of mind to trust our experienced staff. I’ve also moved around a bit– from Sandstone to Iowa to most of my years being in Hinckley, but I’ve always lived in and loved working in small communities like Mora. Being with St. Clare now for two years, it has been the best balance of continuing my love of being an RN for my clients and helping build our program as a Home Health Care Director.
What do you like most about it?
I have always loved to be with my clients one on one, being able to provide more personalized care and see the people as individuals. The days and years I’m able to spend with each person helps me develop a real relationship them. It’s what I try to make sure our team carries through to the services they provide as well.
What else do you want people to know about St. Clare Home Health Services?
We provide excellent care. Our focus on being honest and transparent about their needs gives our clients the ability to trust our Home Health Aides and our whole team supporting the Mora and Hinckley communities. Choosing to bring in a home health care professional is not always an easy decision to have to make – so we work hard to make it as smooth a transition into their day to day life as possible.
If you’re interested in learning more about Home Health Services for you or for your loved one, contact St. Clare Home Health today.