ChristianaCare, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, announces that its Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) has changed its name to ChristianaCare HomeHealth.
This change reflects the health needs and goals of Delawareans who wish to remain independent at home after hospitalization, during chronic illness and as they age, ChristianaCare notes.
“Nationwide, we’re entering a new day in home-based health care, and ChristianaCare HomeHealth provides the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” says Ric Cuming, EdD, RN, chief nurse executive and interim president, ChristianaCare HomeHealth.
Starting as the VNA in 1922, ChristianaCare HomeHealth encompasses more than 600 home-based caregivers who make nearly 300,000 home visits annually, supported by office-based teams, it estimates.
In addition to skilled nursing care, ChristianaCare HomeHealth provides after-hospital care, rehabilitation, pain management, infusion therapy, home health aide support, medical social work and medication management for patients of all ages.
It also provides Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care in-home and through the Evergreen Center, a dedicated adult day program for patients with Alzheimer’s, located in Wilmington.
“We care for each according to their need, and we are centered on meeting the needs of our community,” Cuming states. “With the full array of exceptional, innovative services of ChristianaCare available to our patients and their loved ones, we are committed to go beyond delivering great health care to make a true impact on health.”
The new name was generated through an extensive research effort that included engagement with patients, staff and other members of the community. The research showed that the ChristianaCare brand is well-known and highly respected in the community and that the term “home health” would better represent the full range of services and diverse expertise offered in the home.
“Home health care can prevent some hospitalizations with therapies, monitoring and other clinical services right at home,” shares Ann Painter, MSN, RN, senior vice president, ChristianaCare HomeHealth & Community Services.
Home health care also reduce the costs of care and decrease the likelihood of hospital readmission by as much as 25% compared with patients with serious conditions such as heart attack or pneumonia who do not receive care at home after leaving the hospital, the release estimates.
“People feel better when they are in their own homes, surrounded by their loved ones, their own belongings and in their own living space,” Painter adds.
ChristianaCare HomeHealth, ChristianaCare’s health system, is a member of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.
[Source: ChristianaCare]
