[LoisJean]

Howdy, Hoolahan! No, I haven't forgotten you and I have your information almost ready to mail out--will let you know.

I'm an LPN for 27 years -the past 10 years as a home health care nurse; I have been self-employed as a community nursing service provider for the past seven years.

Home Health Care is, in my opinion, the ultimate nursing experience! I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

Hope to hear from many nurses out there regarding Home Health Care and their experiences.

[hoolahan]

Hi Lois!! I was wondering what happened to you!

I will be anxious to read what you have!!

Hi KT! Glad to hear from you too!

[Sammie]

Hi
I have been in home health since 87. Now work in QI part-time since I had my son.
I started working for a small VNA but three mergers in three years, now I work for a very large VNA. Thankfully kept my desk, job and wonderful boss.
Nice to find an online home to visit.

[outbackannie]

I loved being a Home Health Nurse and visiting patients and their families. I really felt I made a difference. Then when the PPS came into effect, all the Home Health Agencies including the one I worked for closed in my area. Moving was not an option for me and so I'm stuck back in the hospital setting. What really doesn't make sense is that the people I used to visit have to come into the hospital to receive the care I could have given them in their home for less than the cost of hospitalization.[color=crimson]

[hoolahan]

Hi sammie , hi outback annie (love that name) , welcome!

Outback, that is unbelieveable! And scary! I will lose it if I had to go back to the hospital FT! How sad for you!! I DO feel your pain!!! I still moonlight in the hospital, working q monday 7p-7a for the next 6 weeks as a matter of fact.

I'm thinking about going for my wound care cert, if all the HH agencies close up, I'll be screwed! Is this a trend in the southwest? Why did all the agencies close down? They lost that much $$ on PPS? Where is the nearest HH agency? The managed care companies must be having a FIT! It's way more $$ to keep pt's in the hospital, and they recover so much better at home. Again, how very very sad!!

Hey, start your own agency!! Goodnes knows you'd get all the business!!

[NRSKarenRN]

500 Home Care agencies closed of the past year. In Texas, estimated that 50% closed. Partially due to Security bond being required; others needed to pay back MC for overcharges after MC 488 review. MC then demaded overchage be deducted direclt from next automatic monthly payment (prior PPS) causign huge cash flow problem. Add in PPS rules & regs, y2k compliance software etc, it broke many newer agencies.

I've heard from my Director of Patient Services, my agency doing well under PPS cause we've lower utilization than manyin our state and long term wound care patients less that 5 % of total cases.

I'm sure there has to be SOME agency providing home care, maybe thru a satelite branch??...check with your discharge planning/social work department.

[MayeRN]

Hi there everyone! I've been working in home health for 7 years in Ontario, Canada. There is nothing like it. I had no idea what to expect when I first started home health nursing but now I wouldn't trade it for the world. I feel that it is certainly not for everyone.

Home nurses get a bad wrap here. Many of the hospital nurses tell the student nurses that it is useless(?) and that we have abandoned the profession. Home health nursing is very rewarding, despite all the paperwork and all the time spent on the phone.

Often the relationship that you build with the patient and their family goes beyond the regular nurse-client relationship. Patients end up depending on the nurse more than their doctors! And we get to give that special one-on- one care that we all learnt about. I would never be able to return to the hospital setting now!

We rule!!!

[hoolahan]

Hi Maye. I have recieved mail from another Canadian HH nurse, but she said they didn't do OASIS, lucky girl!!

I am with you all the way on loving HH, just not always loving my administrators!

Welcome, hope to see you post a lot!

[nur20]

HI HOOLAHAN, Then you did take the new job?? You didn;t tell us. Good luck at it, but i bet i know where your heart lyes !!!!!!

[hoolahan]

Yes! I did take it, but I will be making visits all the time to supervise. Less paperwork, still get to have hands on.

I start Monday!! I'll let you know how it goes.

PS I can wear jeans!!