House Calls Make a Comeback

Unless you were around in the 1950's you probably don't know that it was common to see a man carrying a small black bag knock on a neighbor's door. Who would it have been? Today you might think, insurance salesman, Amway salesman or even political office seeker. Would it surprise you to know that it was the family doctor?

There was a time when doctors would routinely visit patients at their homes. It seems like this convenience disappeared for good about 50 years ago as the baby boom was in full swing and physicians were swamped with patients.

Our house calls story would end abruptly right here, were it not for Family Home Care and Hospice. (FHCH) of Spokane, WA. FHCH is a home health agency serving patients in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. FHCH has recently begun offering primary care medical services in a patient's home. The new service, appropriately named, "House Calls" provides a variety of primary care medical services including, routine check-ups, blood draws, medication monitoring, diagnosing medical conditions and prescribing medications. Following an initial visit and diagnosis, patients may also receive their on-going treatment and follow-up from their House Calls provider, or their in-home care can be coordinated with their regular physician.

FHCH providers are Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP) who have been specially trained and licensed to provide in-home medical services. The ARNP staff at FHC prefers to visit a patient in their home rather than in a clinic or hospital setting.

"We love this program because it allows us to spend more time with our patients," said Carol Charles, ARNP. "When we can get to know them more closely and see how they're living, we can many times recommend treatment options that will fit more closely with the patient's lifestyle. This is an advantage for the patient that isn't possible at a hospital or clinic."

While the new House Calls service is ideal for bed ridden or home bound people, it is not meant only for them. Anyone who would prefer to receive their primary care medical services at home can make use of the service.

"We see mostly elderly patients," noted Alicia Bowman, FHCH's primary care coordinator, "as they tend to have the greatest need, but we also see a number of younger patients. There is no reason to feel like this is only something for the elderly."

In FHCH's primary market area, as in many communities across the country, there are no services which provide primary medical care on an in-home basis. This means that, without the House Calls service, many patients will not see a medical professional until their condition becomes serious enough that emergency treatment is needed. Even in the best cases, home-bound patients often postpone their medical care long enough that their conditions have worsened. The availability of quality in-home medical care is essential to the continued health of these patients.

The demand for a House Calls style service in the Spokane area is vigorous. The situation is likely much the same in other markets. The increasing population of elderly patients across the nations means that such in-home services will be required in most communities across the country.

"Home health agencies already have the expertise and systems to offer these services in their areas," explained Michael Nowling, FHCH President. "If enough home health agencies take on this service all across the country, it will represent a significant benefit to our elderly patients and will take some of the pressure off of our emergency rooms and staff."

The largest privately owned home health agency in it's market area, Family Home Care and Hospice has been seeing patients in the Inland Northwest for more than 40 years. Family Home Care and Hospice has been honored by Medicare as one of the top 1 percent of home health agencies in Washington State. They have also been recognized as being among the top five percent of home health agencies in the nation.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

Michael Nowling is the President of FHCH, a home health agency in the Spokane area, WA. The largest privately owned home health agency in the Spokane area, FHCH has been serving the inland Northwest for over 40 years.

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