Show #394 Airing Sunday, 7/15/07
When a family is having a serious or terminal illness, so many questions can arise. Wouldn't it be comforting to know there are answers available 24/7? Here to explain how new technology can bring peace of mind is Robbie Webb, Coordinator of Professional & Community Services for the Hospice & Palliative Care Partners of Ohio.
Question:What is tele-hospice?
Answer:It's high-tech care we offer those in our hospice and special care programs. It's a monitor in the home that takes a patient's vital signs (such as blood pressure, weight, oxygen levels, etc.). The monitor can also be programmed to ask questions that are specifically tailored to a person's individual needs.
The monitor takes about 5 minutes to use. The results are sent to our main office and are looked at by nurses. If anything seems unusual, interventions start immediately. First a phone call is made to see how things are going, and then the person's nurse case manager is alerted to make a visit.
Question:Who is eligible for a tele-hospice monitor?
Answer:The service is free to anyone in VNA's hospice or special care program. It is not specific to any one disease.
Hospice is covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Anyone can make a hospice referral-if you think a relative or a neighbor needs hospice, you can call us. We'll visit them and take down their information, to see if they meet the guidelines and would like the services. Then we would need to obtain a doctor's orders.
Question:What happens when someone decides to use the monitor?
Answer:Once someone is enrolled in hospice or special care, we evaluate if they are a good fit for a monitor: will they be able to use it or do they have a caregiver who can help them use it?
If the answer is yes, we will bring in a monitor and tailor it to the person's individual needs. Do they have questions about their medication? About anxiety? Or, for example, if he or she is a cardiac patient, we could program questions about chest pain.
Some people will use tele-hospice on a daily basis while others will use it three times a week. Again, it will be dependent on their personal needs.
Question:Is the monitor used in lieu of nurse visits?
Answer:No, this is not in place of nursing visits, but instead is used to complement visits.
In the short time tele-hospice has been available, we have served quite a few people, and they have found it very helpful in reducing anxiety. The person and their family feel more involved in their case; it allows them to take some control over their health.
Tele-hospice can support traditional hospice care by easing the anxiety of patients and families. To learn more, give the Visiting Nurse Association a call. The numbers next. My thanks to Robbie Webb.
