Home Health: The Missing Piece in Reducing Rehospitalization
Are you a SNF owner or operator who currently has a home health affiliation or the desire to have an affiliation? Home Health may be the missing piece to close the gap in the continuum of care for your patients.
What are the benefits of home health for patients discharging from a skilled nursing facility?
- Improved Patient Satisfaction
- Reduced Risk for Rehospitalization
- Independence with continued skilled care and support
- Caregiver training and support
- Fall Prevention and Home Safety
- Teaching and Education
In the healthcare world today, numerous healthcare institutions including SNFs, acute care hospitals and home health agencies are impacted by Medicare’s VBP models. Each of these entities are measured based on their ability to reduce rates of rehospitalization. For home health specifically, rehospitalization carries significant weight toward the total Value Based Purchasing (VBP) score. As a result, successful home health agencies provide extensive staff training and establish focused processes which target prevention of rehospitalization.
How can home health impact the SNF? Consider this example: A resident discharges from the SNF and returns home; however, during the time away from home the patient has likely encountered medication changes, mobility changes and potentially new diagnoses that will require continued education, monitoring and lifestyle modifications. Home health is key to helping SNFs seamlessly transition patients back to the community while preventing rehospitalization or a decline in a patient’s medical condition.
Successful collaboration between the SNF and home health provider improves overall patient satisfaction. Home health can become an extension of the SNF, providing continued skilled care by experienced nurses and therapists.
Contact Proactive to build successful collaboration protocols with home health to benefit your facility and reduce rehospitalization rates.
Written by:
Nichole McClain, RN
Principal Consultant of Home Health Services
Contact Proactive to learn more about Five-Star Improvement support services and develop a road map to Five-Star success in 2025.