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Harrington, C., O’Meara, J. (2004). Report on California’s Nursing Homes, Home Health Agencies, and Hospice Programs Prepared for the California HealthCare Foundation for California Nursing Home Search - www.calnhs.org. Retrieved from the Center for PAS website http://pascenter.org/documents/CCIS_Overview.pdf
Abstract
Nursing homes, home health care agencies and hospice programs provide vital services to many individuals with who need nursing care, therapy, and assistance with activities of daily living. A large number of individuals depend upon these facilities, agencies, and programs and yet little is known about them. This report examines these three types of long term care providers in California and provides background information about a consumer information system developed by the California HealthCare Foundation.
Admission to a nursing home is usually a last resort for individuals who are too sick to care for themselves or have someone care for them at home, or for individuals who do not have anyone to care for them. Admission may be for short-term care, to recover from an acute illness, or long term for a more debilitating illness or help with activities of daily living. Unfortunately, some expected short stays can turn into longer stays because residents do not receive the care they need to recover or because an individual’s condition or situation prevents them going home. Good quality of care is important for both long and short stay residents and quality of care varies widely across facilities.
Most individuals with illnesses and disabilities prefer to remain at home with where they can receive services and support from family members and friends. Home health care agencies provide services from trained workers who visit the home to help with personal and medical care needs. Services range from basic care from home health aides and homemakers to professional services from registered nurses and therapists who help with care and therapeutic needs. Home health care agencies emphasize post-acute rehabilitative services, not long term and custodial home care.
Home care and personal care services (also called personal attendant care) are often needed. Home care services are provided paid or unpaid caregivers who help with a variety of tasks, including: meal preparation, errands, housekeeping and shopping, as well as feeding, toileting assistance, walking, bathing and companionship. Caregivers can be hired through home care organizations, referral agencies, or they can be privately hired.
Hospice care is an approach to caring for terminally ill clients that stresses palliative care (relief of pain and uncomfortable symptoms), as opposed to care that attempts to cure illness. The goal of hospice care is to minimize pain and suffering. Hospice clients are cared for by a team of professionals and volunteers who specialize in different types of care. In addition to meeting the client’s medical needs, hospice care addresses the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of the client as well as the psychosocial needs of the family or caregiver. Hospice programs provide care in a variety of settings including: the client’s home, skilled nursing facilities, special units in hospitals, or stand-alone hospice programs. Hospice services include nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, speech language therapy, medical social services, home health aides, medical supplies and equipment, medications, physician services, short term inpatient care, and psychological, spiritual and nutritional counseling.
These three programs are valuable long-term care services and are the focus for the development of a consumer information website in California. This paper describes the initial development of the website, the most recent changes in the website, and the research that was undertaken for the website. In addition, the paper presents a summary of current information about nursing homes, home health agencies, and hospices in California, along with some recent trend data.
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