Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care provides cost-effective, high-quality, multidisciplinary health and hospice care to individuals of all ages, to improve health, prevent illness and enable terminally ill patients to remain at home.

Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care (AMHHC) nurses have been called the at-home eyes, ears and hands of physicians. They verify medical orders and ascertain that patients are complying with physician-approved treatment plans. Regular written and verbal communications with physicians about their patients ensure that progress is documented and problems are quickly identified.

A TRADITION OF CARING
Every year, thousands of patients and their families in the Delaware Valley turn to Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care for compassionate, skilled nursing and other care in the comfort and security of home. Patients rely on Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care to provide professional care and sophisticated procedures, once only available in the hospital, in surroundings that are familiar and reassuring.

Comprehensive, Cost-effective Care
As an alternative to costly hospitalization and lengthy stays, when patients are discharged, they may choose a home health care provider. Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care offers a comprehensive range of services on site.

Working with physicians, case managers and family members, Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care's professional staff determines the clinical and personal care plan that best meets patients' needs. Under the care of registered nurses, therapists, medical social workers and aides, patients benefit from high-quality, skilled, reliable and efficient care while enjoying the relative independence of home.

From Hospital to Home
Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care brings high-tech medical resources from hospital acute care units into patients' homes. In accordance with physician's orders, Home Care nurses administer medications and injections, change dressings, manage tube feedings, provide tracheostomy care and monitor IV's. Because of the high level of skilled care provided by our staff, even individuals unable to perform the most basic daily functions can live at home with the support and assistance of Home Care.

TYPES OF CARE
As the length of hospital stays declines for individuals who have undergone joint replacements, amputations and strokes, supervised therapy at home has grown in importance. Home Care nurses and therapists map out a program of consistent, coordinated, cross-disciplinary care that is necessary for successful rehabilitation.

Visiting Home Care staff answer questions, clarify physician instructions, monitor for infections and provide the necessary physical and occupational therapy. To ease the transition to home, Home Care staff also work closely with family members and other health care professionals to be sure caregivers understand how to administer medications and make their homes more accessible and maneuverable for patients.

Assisting Patients in Retirement and Assisted-Living Facilities
Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care offers residents of retirement homes and assisted-living facilities the same array of services provided to all their patients. Home Care nurses collaborate with facilities managers in providing medical and therapeutic support to enable residents to function independently for as long as possible.

Home Care's staff of health care professionals consults with case managers to provide a safe transition from hospital to home. They develop a treatment plan combining optimum care at a fee agreed upon by the payer and Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care. Cross-functional teams of nursing and therapy specialists keep payers up-to-date on their patients' conditions and advise on care options as needs change.

Services for Chronic Illness
In the past 20 years, life expectancies for chronically ill patients have lengthened dramatically. As they age, these patients present unprecedented challenges to health care providers to find new ways to manage long-term illness and disability while minimizing unscheduled hospitalization. Home Care nurses collaborate with primary care physicians to ensure that disabled individuals receive the therapy and education at home that can improve their quality of life and prevent devastating setbacks.

Home Hospice Care
Home Care's inpatient and at-home hospice program provides the coordination and attention to individual needs that relieve many day-to-day stresses. It allows patients and their families to enhance the time they have together.

When the terminally ill are discharged to their homes, a multidisciplinary Home Care team provides the clinical skills, personal care and compassion that make final days more manageable. Palliative care may include administering medication, providing personal care, assisting with pain management and referring patients and families for counseling for depression and anxiety.

Commitment and Character
Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care nurses have chosen home care as their profession. They understand the importance of safety, comfort and dignity to patients and their families. They are highly educated, routinely attend classes to keep their knowledge and skills current and subscribe to the highest professional standards, delivering care with sensitivity to the patient's desire for privacy and independence. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, their competence and dedication ensure that, for many, home is best.

Quality is a Priority
Home Care staff members routinely monitor patient and physician satisfaction levels as an ongoing performance improvement process. AMHHC is certified by Medicare for home health and hospice care and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.

As a department of Abington Memorial Hospital, Home Care is proud of its time-honored tradition of high-quality patient care and service to our community.

A Valuable Community Asset
Abington Memorial Hospital Home Care provides superior quality services to patients in Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties. Last year, more than 200 Home Care nurses, aides, social workers and therapists made more than 140,000 home health and hospice visits to over 7,000 patients.

Volunteers are an important part of the Home Care and hospice team. The Home Care Department offers training programs for people who wish to work as volunteers with patients or in the Home Care office.

Here Today and Here Tomorrow
Supported by the extensive resources of Abington Memorial Hospital, the non-profit organization has an abiding commitment to the communities it serves. Home Care nurses, certified in a variety of specialties, along with their experienced management team have consistently been identified in benchmarking studies as "best performers," earning national recognition for maintaining the highest quality of patient care in a cost-containment environment. Home Care staff solicit evaluations on a regular basis from patients, families, physicians and other referral sources, in order to identify and meet the growing challenges of home health and hospice care.