Giving Thanks

November is National Home Care and Hospice Month—a time for honoring and recognizing the commitment with which home health providers serve our communities. Each of our member agencies honors its staff during this time. Some hold luncheons. Others buy sweet treats. They all express their gratitude with words and gestures.

Another way of thanking our home care workforce is to share with the public all the important work they do. The VNA of the Southwest Region sent a press release reminding readers that home care costs the system less than many other types of care. “For example,” they stated, “Medicare pays nearly $2,000 per day for a typical hospital stay and $450 per day for a typical nursing home stay. Meanwhile, home care costs less than $100 a day and helps many U.S. seniors remain independent at home, enrich their lives, and keep in touch with those they love.”

The Visiting Nurses of New Hampshire held educational seminars throughout the month about the services they offer—from maternal child health to long-term care. The series, called “Let’s Talk,” will encore in January with a discussion about the organization’s “Volunteers in Action” program.

I consider it fitting that Thanksgiving occurs during National Home Care and Hospice Month. November is a perfect time to thank the many people who make it possible for their neighbors to get care in the place they most want it—at home.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!