State Senator James B. Eldridge recently joined Emerson Hospital Home Care on a visit to a patient’s home in Ayer, Mass. to mark the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts’ “Home for the Holidays” campaign. The campaign is to raise awareness of the wide range of health care services available to patients at home and to help families choose the quality and compassionate care that is right for them.
“It was eye-opening to accompany a nurse from Emerson Hospital Home Care on a visit to a patient at his home,” said State Senator Eldridge. “The patient was recovering from a recent surgery and received excellent care in the comfort and convenience of his own home. The experience confirms my support of community-based care. High-quality home health care, such as the type provided by Emerson Home Care, is critical to help patients regain their strength and become more independent in their own homes while recovering from an illness or surgery.”
“We are very proud of our work that enables patients to recover in the most comfortable and familiar setting: Their own homes,” said Brian Hailey, Director, Emerson Hospital Home Care. “It is humbling to help patients remain independent and close to their loved ones while they receive care at home.”
Emerson Hospital Home Care has established a reputation for excellence and has received many awards for quality and patient safety. In May of this year, Emerson’s Home Care team earned 4.5 stars out of 5 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – one of the highest scores for home care in the country. One of the first hospital-based home care organizations in Massachusetts, it provides a variety of health services to the community including nursing, rehabilitation, medical social work and home health aides.
Emerson Hospital Home Care is a member of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, a non-profit trade association of 200 federally-certified home health agencies and private pay home care agencies. These agencies provide an array of services that help people at every stage of life, from maternal & child health services to palliative care and hospice.
Nationally, more than 11 million Americans receive home health care, according to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. As the baby boomer population ages, more and more people will need care at home. This is why Emerson Home Care, State Senator Eldridge and the Home Care Alliance are working to educate people about how to choose an appropriate agency to provide the necessary home health care services.
“It is so important that people realize they have a say in their own care and who is providing that care,” said Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts Executive Director Patricia Kelleher. “Through our educational materials, we hope those seeking home health care and their families will ask the right questions of potential providers and realize that they can receive care at home, if appropriate.”
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Emerson Hospital is a multi-site health system headquartered in Concord, Mass., with additional facilities in Sudbury, Groton and Westford. The 179-bed hospital provides advanced medical services to more than 300,000 individuals in 25 towns. Emerson Hospital Home Care was one of the first hospital-based home care organizations in Massachusetts. It provides a variety of health services to the community including nursing, rehabilitation, medical social work and home health aides.
To learn more, visit www.emersonhospital.org.
With a mission to unite people and organizations to advance community health through care and services in the home, the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts is a non-profit trade association and advocacy group representing the voice of the state’s home-based health and care services. Founded in 1969, the Alliance represents 200 home care and home health agencies. For more information, visit www.thinkhomecare.org.
