|
Home Care Plus...
There is no place like home…in times of health and prosperity, and
perhaps even more so in times of illness and medical
recovery.
North Penn VNA provides
high
quality health care in your home and in the community. |
For Physicians...
We welcome your referrals and the opportunity to serve
you and
your patients. We want your experience with us,
and that of
your patients, to be a positive one. At the North
Penn VNA, we
emphasize excellence in care and services
and strive to be the
premier home and community based
health care provider in the areas we
serve.
As a physician, your role in a patient's homecare experience
is
very important.
- Your decision to refer patients to home care services
shows
them that you care and want them to have
continued quality medical care
even after they leave
your office or the hospital.
- Homecare is an extension of your care. We follow
your
orders for the patient's care and, with your
guidance and
approval, recommend and follow
through on changes that
are made
to the plan of care.
- Your involvement throughout the home care experience
provides a continuity of care for the patient from your
office,
to the hospital and back home.
To Make a Referral
Via Phone
Call 215-855-8296, ext. 120 and speak with our intake
coordinator. She will ask for detailed
information regarding patient
contact information, physician contact
information, insurance
information, diagnosis and homecare
disciplines
the physician is
ordering - skilled nursing,
rehabilitation therapy (PT, ST, OT),
hospice.
Via Fax
Fax your referral to the attention of our intake
coordinator at
215-855-1305. For your convenience, download
and print our
fax
referral form so you can tell us all about the patient you would
like us to visit.Once the fax is received,
our intake coordinator
will call you back that day to verify the
information and schedule
your patient for a visit. Don't forget to
include your name and
phone number so we can call you back. In
order to facilitate a
quick response to your faxed referral, please
place a call to
215-855-8296, ext. 120 to let us know that a referral is
coming.
Who Should be Referred to Home Care?
Criteria for admission to home care are:
- The patient is homebound.
- The patient is in need of health care that requires skilled
nursing, physical, speech or occupational therapy on an
intermittent basis.
- The attending physician must sign the initial plan of care.
Examples of patients who would benefit from homecare are:
(these examples are not all-inclusive)
- Those recovering from surgery
- Disabled or chronically ill persons needing medical treatment and
assistance with the activities of daily living
- Patients recovering from a stroke, heart attack, heart surgery,
high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, lung disease, diseases of the
nervous system and terminal illness
- Patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement
surgery, those receiving IV therapy, and those with a colostomy or
catheter
Definition of Homebound
Medicare, and most insurance companies, define homebound as
follows:
Normally unable to leave home. Leaving home takes considerable
and taxing effort. A person may leave home for medical treatment
or
short, infrequent absences for non-medical reasons, such as a
trip
to the barber or to attend religious services. A need for adult
day
care does not keep a patient from getting home health care
for other
medical conditions.
This definition was taken directly from the Medicare website
glossary.
Hospice Facts
Hospice care may be appropriate for any patient with an end-
stage
illness such as cancer, pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's, and
other
non-malignant conditions. Certification of a 6-month
prognosis
by the physician is required. When the patient's
physician
makes the referral, the physician and our hospice team
develop a
care plan, which includes specific desires of the patient
and
family. There is no penalty if a patient outlives their
6-month
prognosis. Hospice care may be recertified for 60-day
periods.
Patients who stabilize may also come on and off
hospice care as
per their physician's assessment.
Click here to see what diagnoses may be appropriate for hospice
care.
To refer a patient to the North Penn VNA Hospice Program,
please call our Hospice Nurse Manager at
215-855-8297, ext. 130.
Pre-Hospice Evaluation
Adjusting to life's changes can be a challenge for patients
and
families. The North Penn VNA is pleased to offer a
pre-hospice
evaluation to assist you, your patients and their loved
ones with the
transition to palliative care.
Hospice staff are available to meet with, evaluate and educate
patients who you believe are appropriate for hospice services.
Our staff can meet your patients and their families in the comfort
of
their home, in the hospital, skilled nursing facilities or your
own
office suite. There is no fee for this service.
If, during the evaluation, your patient chooses hospice care and
you approve of this decision, admission to North Penn VNA
hospice
service can begin.
For more information, or to arrange for a pre-hospice evaluation,
please contact our Hospice Nurse Manager at
215-855-8297, ext. 130.
|
A change for Medicare!!
Nurse
practioners can sign orders
as the attending physician for
Hospice patients. |
|
