The southern heat isn’t stopping our advocates from going above and beyond for home care. Recently, Hearts for Home Care has seen an influx of activity from our home care employee advocates, who have been scheduling meetings with legislators, coordinating in-office legislative roundtables, and most importantly, demonstrating home care’s impact by hosting home visits, in which legislators come in to a client’s home. Home visits are the most impactful way to demonstrate the importance of home care to legislators because it gives them a chance to see firsthand how their constituents receive services. When our state decisionmakers see the impact of home care on local residents, they are more likely to support policies that benefit the home care industry.
Last month, BAYADA Home Health Care’s Rock Hill Skilled Nursing Office hosted South Carolina state Representative Richard Yow, who visited his constituent Mitchell H. in Lancaster, SC. Mitchell relies on home care to stay at him with his mother, Tammy, and his son, Allen. Seeing how home care allows Mitchell to watch his son grow and thrive impacted Rep. Yow, who stated, “Spending time with Mitchell’s family puts a different perspective on the state’s home care situation. Its past time that we in South Carolina hold insurance companies accountable and do what we can do to ensure that families wanting to take care of their loved ones at home have the necessary equipment and support to do so.” Rep. Yow even assisted the family in securing a spot at a local summer camp!
Last week, Lee Dobson and service office director Taylor McClure led former senator and current candidate for North Carolina’s 119th district Joe Sam Queen on a visit to client Mike G. Mike, who lives alone with no immediate family in the area, relies on his certified nursing assistant (CNA) Kassie to stay at home. Kassie, who has been with Mike since 2016, said, “Mike has become like family to me. I’m glad I can help him stay as independent as possible.” Queen stated, “It is clear serving folks at their home and out of higher-cost settings is better for the individual and better for North Carolina. Access to health care, including Medicaid, is critical as our state grapples with rising healthcare costs. We should be using our tax dollars wisely to help our citizens while creating quality local jobs and providing that much needed care.”
Hearts for Home Care’s home visit program has been recognized by our federal partners for its effectiveness in demonstrating the impact home care has to state legislators. Recently, the Partnership for Quality Home Health (PQHH), asked us to begin a federal home visit campaign to further educate our representatives and senators in Congress on home care’s effectiveness in keeping residents safe and independent at home. In addition to the above mentioned home visits, Hearts for Home Care advocates have conducted additional home visits in North and South Carolina, and home visits in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
It is clear how impactful home visits can be in influencing our legislators’ perception of home care. To learn about how you can get involved in advocacy and how you can plan a home visit, email [email protected] today!
