PROMOTIONAL CONTENT
5
INDIAN RIVER HOME CARE TO LEAD
ADVANCED HEALTH SERVICES AT HOME
Indian River Home Care, the county’s most prestigious home health agency,
is renowned for receiving the highest possible rating from Medicare for specialized
nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
This lauded recognition is only awarded to agencies that are rated five stars
in two categories: patient satisfaction and quality of care. Indian River Home
Care is the only agency in the county to have received this distinction for the
past three years.
In order to offer patients services covered by their Medicare home health
benefit, an agency must become Medicare-certified by submitting an application
for authorization, which can take up to six months in Florida. If
approved, the home care company must undergo a meticulous survey to
become nationally accredited before admitting patients.
Even with orders from a doctor stating the patient needs nursing or therapy,
these services are currently only covered by Medicare for up to 28 hours a
week and typically for two months or less. However, on July 29, new legislation,
known as the CHOOSE HOME CARE ACT, proposed that Medicare
beneficiaries should also have an option to recover safely and comfortably
at home instead of in a facility.
If this new bipartisan bill were to pass, Medicare would include a “costeffective
and patient preferred home-based extended care benefit as a
supplement to the existing home health benefit that supports patients to …
recover at home with a mix of expanded skilled nursing, therapy, personal
care, telehealth services and more,” according to the National Association
for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC).
However, Indian River Home Care is one of the area’s only agencies whose
nurses and therapists already partner in-home with nursing assistants who are
proficient with extended services, such as ambulation support, dressing, bathing,
housekeeping, meal preparation, telemonitoring assistance and more.
“The nursing assistants are very familiar with our high-end level of care, which
includes accommodating patients and their families in a really precise fashion,”
said Natalie Kornicks Savadge, Indian River Home Care PLUS manager.
“In addition to health services, this includes coordinating safe travel, in-home
COVID-19 vaccination administration, house organization, live-in caregiving,
uninterrupted telemonitoring and more.”
By offering these concierge-style services, along with nursing, therapy and
their telemonitoring program, “CARE CONNECT: HI-TECH & HI-TOUCH,”
Indian River Home Care patients are empowered to elevate their health and
champion their well-being.
“My nurse always calls me if one of my telehealth readings is off, which really
gives me the reassurance that the information is being checked constantly,”
patient Stephanie Andersen said. “It really is just so great, and it keeps me
focused on my goals and how I’m feeling, which I think is really important
since I’m trying to be proactive about my own health.”
While patients are visited in person by their nurse and therapist multiple
times a week, the Bluetooth equipment used for the Care Connect program
— which received the highly acclaimed Distinction in Telehealth for optimum
patient care — allows for vital signs to be monitored continuously.
In an independent survey of 92 Indian River Home Care patients, 98 percent
of patients agreed the telehealth program makes them feel more supported
by their health care team, and 91 percent of patients agreed they are more
involved with their care while using the program.
As a responsive and innovational leader within the community, Indian River
Home Care is ready to offer extended care services in the home now, according
to Founder and President Margot Kornicks, RN, BSN, MBA.
“We are poised and ready to meet the challenge of providing more acute
care at home, whether the care is needed due to a medical condition or a
cognitive decline, or both,” she said.
To aid in this mission, Indian River Home Care also offers a 12-lead EKG
conducted in the home, mobile bladder ultrasound screenings and on-site
COVID-19 testing.
“The forward-thinking services that Indian River Home Care has provided
for our staff and community has been wonderfully accommodating,” John’s
Island Club General Manager Brian Kroh said. “At the start of the pandemic,
they were one of the first local organizations to offer mobile COVID-19 testing
in Indian River County, including at John’s Island Club. By offering on-site
COVID testing, Indian River Home Care has helped us to keep our members
and employees safe, right where we are.”
While it is possible that this bill may not pass, Indian River Home Care can be
contacted directly for support.
Indian River Home Care nurses: Laura Granito, Margot Kornicks, Tasha Patterson,
Angela Learned, Susan Garabics, Ruth Stewart and Courtney Blair
Stephanie Andersen and Susan Garabics
PATIENT SATISFACTION
QUALITY OF CARE
“An option to recover safely and” comfortably
at home instead of in a facility
INDIAN RIVER HOME CARE
65 ROYAL PALM POINTE
VERO BEACH, FL 32960
T: 772-569-3885 | F: 772-365-3707
INDIANRIVERHOMECARE.COM
/www.indianriverhomecare.com
/INDIANRIVERHOMECARE.COM