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Home Health Care Demand Is Increasing During The Pandemic Home Health Care Demand Is Increasing During the Pandemic

By Brendan Scanland

COVID-19 and Nursing Homes
© 2020 John Minchillo

SEARCHING FOR REHAB OR HOSPICE CARE FOR AN ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBER IN LACKAWANNA COUNTY CAN BE DIFFICULT DURING THE PANDEMIC.




COMMUNITY LIAISON AT HOME HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND HOSPICE, CAROL DESMARTEAU, SAYS MANY FAMILIES ARE CHOOSING HOME HEALTH OPTIONS TO BE CLOSER TO THEIR LOVED ONES.

“More people are saying, that they have gone to facilities, they are saying no, we want mom or dad to come home. Of course they do, they can spend time with them.”

DESMARTEAU SAYS IN A TIME WHEN MANY FAMILIES ARE UNABLE TO VISIT THEIR ELDERLY LOVED ONES, HOME HEALTH CARE IS BECOMING A PREFERRED OPTION.

“Going to have limited interaction or no interaction, a lot of families are choosing to have whatever time they have with their loved one.”

DESPITE CHALLENGES, LIKE SECURING P-P-E AND NOT BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH FAMILIES IN PERSON, DESMARTEAU AND HER COLLEAGUES REMAIN MOTIVATED TO PROVIDE THE BEST CARE FOR THEIR PATIENTS.



Brendan Scanland, N-C-C News.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. (NCC NEWS) COVID-19 has devastated many elder-care facilities in Lackawanna County. Data released by Governor Tom Wolf’s administration in May says nursing home residents made up half of the cases in Lackawanna County at that time. Since May, the road has not gotten easier for nursing homes and care facilities locally, and throughout the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported in June that nearly 70% of deaths within the Commonwealth stem from elder-care facilities.

The concentration of COVID-19 cases in these facilities may be unsettling for families searching for quality elder care. Some are looking into alternative care options for elderly loved-ones instead of traditional rehabilitation, hospice care and other senior health services.

Home Health Care Professionals and Hospice (HHCP) has been a home health service provider in the region since 1995. HHCP Community Liaison Carol Desmarteau says they are seeing increased demand for home health options during the pandemic.

“More people are saying, that they have gone to facilities, they are saying no, we want mom or dad to come home. Of course they do, they can spend time with them,” said Desmarteau. Currently, visitation is not allowed or is extremely limited for families at local facilities.

“They’re going to have limited interaction, or no interaction, a lot of families are choosing to have whatever time they have with their loved one, and rightfully so,” she added.

As HHCP works to continue home services, challenges like obtaining personal protective equipment (PPE) and working without personal interaction have proven to be some of the greatest barriers to overcome. “It’s the connection that you miss,” said Desmarteau, “I miss having that connection when I would meet families.”

As she and her colleagues prepare for a new normal, COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania appear to be stabilizing, according to the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard from this month.

Special guidance and information on COVID-19 and nursing homes can be found on the CDC’s website.

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