Hospice and home care providers are heroes
LINDA LEONE President, Illinois HomeCare Council
Editor: November is Home Care and Hospice Month in Illinois. As president of the Illinois HomeCare Council, I want to take this opportunity to commend the dedicated home care and hospice providers who are working in communities all across the state. They include home health nurses and aides; physical, occupational and speech therapists; medical social workers; and multidisciplinary hospice teams that include physicians, nursing staff, counselors and clergy. Perhaps the greatest reason home care and hospice providers are truly heroes is that they believe every patient deserves quality care. As part of this commitment, the home care industry has come together to promote a legislative initiative that was signed into law in 2005. Known as the Illinois Home Health, Home Services & Home Nursing Agency Licensing Act, it means that all home care providers are now required to comply with a minimum set of standards that ensure quality care and patient safety. The Illinois Department of Public Health will have standards in place by Jan. 1, 2008; effective September 2008, licensure will be required of all types of home care agencies. The latest Medicare data tell us why quality care is so important. In Illinois alone, more than 33,000 patients receive hospice care annually, and approximately 140,000 home health patients receive nearly 3 million visits per year. Medicare home care patients are homebound. They may need wound care, or respiratory or intravenous therapy; some depend on durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and walkers; some need help with bathing or medication or pain management; some need nutrition or mental health counseling. The need for all types of home care and hospice will continue to dramatically escalate in conjunction with our aging society. By 2030, the older-adult (65 or older) population in the U.S. will more than double to about 71.5 million, and the 85-or-older population is projected to increase from 4.6 million in 2002 to 9.6 million in 2030. Most older adults have at least one chronic condition, and many have multiple conditions that require in-home assistance. As we prepare for this “age wave,” our home care professionals in Illinois will do whatever they can to be there for those who need them. My personal thanks go out to these extraordinary heroes who are committed to quality care, and I encourage all Illinoisans to join with me in recognizing them during Home Care and Hospice Month. LINDA LEONE President, Illinois HomeCare Council