Victoria Senior Home Care | October 17, 2019
Comfort Keepers® Victoria announces its partnership with Heart Pharmacy in an exciting new program called Heart@Home.
Heart@Home is a medication adherence service that aims to ensure great care every day. Heart@Home will send a Registered Care Aide (RCA) from Comfort Keepers® to patients’ homes to assist with medication. This program is designed for patients who can benefit from consistent visits and medication adherence.
Physical and cognitive limitations cause many patients to be non-adherent with their medications. Limitations include dexterity, limited sight, declining memory/cognition, and mental health issues. Heart@Home was created to provide the best possible pharmacy care. This helps our community and enables patients to live healthier lives at home.
Patients are recommended for the program (by their doctor, a family member, a VIHA nurse, etc.). A Heart Pharmacist will meet with the patient to conduct a medication review and adherence assessment. If the pharmacist feels the patient is a good candidate for the program, they will confirm with the client’s doctor. Newly requested prescriptions will include instructions for “Daily Dispense,” and schedule a time and date to begin administration.
Seniors with optimized medication adherence show significant improvements in blood markers (INR, blood glucose, blood pressure), decreased medication side effects (dizziness and stomach upset), and stabilized MMSE scores. The daily medication schedule helps the Heart@Home program eliminate accidental exposure and repeat dosing.
Comfort Keepers provides daily visits for companionship to patients, many of whom suffer silently from loneliness. Our RCAs are well-positioned to identify and attend to other areas, such as fall prevention or hygiene issues. When these concerns are identified, the client’s family and care team are informed and patients are directed to the appropriate care (hospital visit, MD visit, family check-in etc.).
Patients utilizing this service have also been able to access other personal care services during home visits (including meal preparation, showers, etc.). These services are provided for a fraction of the cost of patients not in the program.
This partnership can dramatically reduce current and potential risks that often result in hospitalizations.
This Heart@Home eliminates the question of whether or not ongoing health issues and/or changes are the result of not taking prescribed medications.
In one case study, the patient was seemingly unsuccessful in her warfarin therapy. The practitioner had advised switching to a higher-cost brand alternative. The Heart@Home program recommended daily medication administration to understand if medication adherence or metabolic issues necessitated alternative therapy.
After two weeks of daily visits, the patient’s INR was within range, and medication adherence was at 100%. The patient also reported an improvement in overall well-being because the social interaction with the RCA provided her with some respite from her loneliness. The program allowed the healthcare team to ensure that the patient was not only on the right medication at the right dose at the right time, but was also taking the right medication at the right dose and at the right time!
In short, the design of the program is to bring the caregiving and healthcare teams closer together. If a patient has a sudden change in their health status, the doctor is notified right away so that proper care can be coordinated.
If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with 24-hour care, overnight care, respite care, senior care, and companionship care. We also offer end-of-life care, post-surgery care, palliative care, personal care, senior living transition services, and more!
Keep seniors happy and healthy at home. Comfort Keepers® trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible. Our Interactive Caregiving™ system provides care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).
Our philosophy is to elevate the human spirit. Comfort Keepers caregivers will be there every step of the way to ensure your loved one has a better quality of life. Personal and empathetic care starts in the heart, allowing us to meet our client’s exact needs.
Learn more about our unique service which offers respite care, overnight care, personal care, companionship care, palliative care, and end-of-life care by contacting the Comfort Keepers Victoria office.
If you are searching for home care near me, Comfort Keepers® Victoria can provide home care for the seniors of Victoria and the surrounding areas of Colwood, Saanich, Sidney, James Bay, and Oak Bay. Please call (778) 265-5999 and learn how your loved ones can receive compassionate, professional in-home care.
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