This month CHP honors the nurses, aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable, yet often unnoticed impact in the lives of many in our community. By delivering needed services into the homes of elderly, ill, and disabled patients, these dedicated caregivers play an important role in our health care system and in homes right here in Northwest Ohio.
To recognize their efforts and commemorate the power of caring, November is designated National Home Care and Hospice Month. And, the work of home health care and hospice providers is becoming increasingly important.
Growing Need
With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, the need for health care continues to rise, and costs continue to skyrocket. This is where home care comes in. As the preferred choice for most patients, it also offers the greatest cost savings. For example, Medicare pays nearly $2,000 per day for a typical hospital stay and $450 per day for a typical nursing home stay. Meanwhile, home care costs less than $100 a day and helps many U.S. seniors remain independent at home, enrich their lives, and keep in touch with those they love.
“Home care and hospice nurses, therapists, aides, and other providers choose to use their lives to serve the aged, disabled, and dying,\” said William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. \”This noble work deserves our recognition and praise and we celebrate November as home care and hospice month for that very reason.”
Fast Facts
- In 2018, home care providers will travel about 8 billion miles to deliver the best health care in the world’
- Ninety percent of Americans want to age in place, and home care is the preferred method of health care delivery among the disabled, elderly, and chronically ill; and
- Home care provides high-quality, compassionate care to more than 5 million Americans annually.