Detroit, April 17, 2014 – Hospice of Michigan is expanding At Home Support™ beyond Michigan after signing its first partnership agreement with an out-of-state provider.
Michigan’s first – and largest – non-profit hospice provider has signed an agreement with Ohio- based Western Reserve At Home Support to deliver its advanced illness management program. HOM’s At Home Support provides comfort care to patients with serious illnesses through an interdisciplinary team who handle the medical, social and spiritual needs of patients and caregivers.
First piloted in Michigan in 2009, At Home Support now serves more than 400 patients daily throughout the Lower Peninsula. Patients who are living with cancer, heart disease, ALS, Parkinson’s and other chronic illnesses receive access to a team of caring professionals who manage symptoms and pain while keeping patients in an environment where they feel the most comfortable.
A three-year study of that pilot program found that At Home Support not only improves quality of care, it also significantly reduces cost by as much as $3,400 per month – or about 36 percent of total costs – by decreasing hospitalizations, re-hospitalizations and ER utilization.
“We see tremendous – and growing need – for programs like At Home Support, which provides care for families coping with a life-altering illness,” said Robert Cahill, HOM president and CEO. “We have clinically demonstrated that At Home Support reduces the burden on family caregivers while reducing costs and improving quality of life.
“We are incredibly pleased to partner with Western Reserve At Home Support as our first out-of- state provider. We are continuing our talks with dozens of organizations across the country to help them launch this innovative advanced illness management program.”
Western Reserve At Home Support is a business unit of Hospice of the Western Reserve. The organization will partner with insurance companies and accountable care organizations to make this service available across Northern Ohio.
HOM’s At Home Support features:
- Nursing visits to patients in their homes
- A patient-family advocate who is a licensed social worker to identify community services and resources
- Personalized care and support with activities of daily living through aides and volunteers
- Individualized medication and treatment plans developed by a nurse and counselor
- Education about the patient’s specific health condition and guidance on treatment decisions
- Assistance that allows patients to maintain their independence and live life to its fullest
“Through this innovative partnership program, we are excited to be at the forefront in delivering an improved quality of life to thousands of individuals who are living daily with chronic, debilitating diseases in the Northeast Ohio community,” said Michele Seyranian, business development office of Western Reserve at Home.
At Home Support also offers a separate plan of care for the caregivers, who can find themselves unprepared to face the unique challenges of a long-term illness. Caregivers receive the tools, training and support they need to properly take care of their loved one such as information on how to talk with their loved one’s doctor about the progression of the disease, benefit vs. burden of testing and treatment, medications, etc. At Home Support also provides help from volunteers in the form of light housekeeping, companionship visits and other activities.
The Hospice of Michigan Institute, HOM’s research, training and education arm, began formulating the program for At Home Support more than a decade ago based on research that showed more and more people would benefit from this type of extended support in the final two years of their lives.
For more information about At Home Support, please call Michael Jasperson at 313.578.5023 or e-mail mjaspers@hom.org.
About Hospice of Michigan
A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original – and largest – hospice in the state. The non-profit cares for more than 1,400 patients each day in 56 counties across Michigan, raising more than $4 million each year to cover the cost of care for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers a broad range of services to enhance the quality of life at the end of life, including At Home Support™, our advanced illness management program, community-based palliative care and pediatric care programs. HOM provides grief support and counseling, caregiver education and support, and education programs for physicians and healthcare professionals through its research, training and education arm, the Hospice of Michigan Institute. For more information, call 888.247.5701 or visit www.hom.org.
About Hospice of the Western Reserve
At Home Support is a separate business unit of Hospice of the Western Reserve. The unique program eases the burdens confronted by those living with chronic illness. In collaboration with the patient’s personal physician, a team of experienced and skilled professionals assists individuals in living as comfortably and as independently as possible.
Hospice of the Western Reserve is a nationally acclaimed non-profit agency providing comfort and emotional support to patients and their families. The agency provides palliative end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services throughout the region, and cares for people in a variety of settings, including private residences, assisted living and retirement communities, nursing homes, at Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake and David Simpson Hospice House on Cleveland’s east side. For more information, visit hospicewr.org, or call 800.707.8922. For more on volunteer opportunities, visit https://www.hospicewr.org/volunteer.