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Block Nurse Program offers help to stay in your home |
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Most older people want to live independently as long as possible. When health problems or weakness threaten people’s ability to do that, many people feel unsure where to turn and they question what to do. Is it time to go into a nursing home, or are there options to get help to remain at home?
Before looking at moving to a place where you can get more intensive levels of daily care, consider the kinds of care you may be able to get in your home. The Living at Home/Block Nurse Program is a community program that uses a combination of volunteers and health professionals to provide health care, support services and information to neighborhood residents over age 65. The partnership of health professionals and volunteers works closely with seniors, their families and physicians to evaluate the needs of the individual and create a plan of care. A service coordinator or nurse checks with the senior periodically to evaluate whether services need to change.
Health services that are provided include blood pressure checks, vision and hearing checks, management of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, flu shots and preventive care. More complicated health care can also be delivered in the home and is often done so via a home health agency. This would include such services as physical, speech, or occupational therapy; providing and monitoring use of durable medical equipment, skilled nursing care and use of a home health aid.
Volunteers play an important role in the Living at Home/Block Nurse Program. Some services provided by volunteers include visits and telephone contacts, simple home repairs, lawn care and snow shoveling, social activities, paying bills and explaining Medicare. Volunteers can provide respite care for a caregiver to have some time off to relax or run errands.
The Living at Home/Block Nurse Program ties to other volunteer programs that provide custodial or maintenance services for over-age-65 individuals in need. These programs include those that provide transportation services, Meals-on-Wheels, household chores, adult day care, legal or financial help, assistance for seniors that are abused or in danger, and connections with senior centers.
Cost of the Living at Home/Block Nurse Program depends upon the service being performed. Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance reimburses most health services, such as those performed by nurses and home health agencies. Many non-medical services are performed by volunteers. If there are fees for non-medical services, they are charged on a sliding-fee scale. The coordinator would be sure the senior and his/her family approve of any fees before any services are performed.
For more information about the Living at Home/Block Nurse Program, call Elderberry Institute at 651/649-0315, or see their web site at www.elderberry.org.
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