Jennifer Riek, the Business Development Manager of Egis Quality Senior Home Care speaks to local Kiwanis. Courtesy photo
Laramie Hassenstein of Presbyterian Home Health Care and Hospice of Northern New Mexico gave an overview of the organization and its goals. Courtesy photo
BY BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos
At the November 12 Kiwanis meeting, club members heard from representatives of the senior health care industry and learned about the range of services they provide and their plans for providing those services to Los Alamos.
Nathan Young and Laramie Hassenstein of Presbyterian Home Health Care and Hospice of Northern New Mexico gave an overview of their organization and its goals. Hospice care aims to create value in the final days of a loved one’s life. Their goals are to reduce physical pain, psychological and spiritual depression, and to reduce stress of the patients and their families. All in the effort to help patients maintain their dignity, comfort, and quality of life when curative measures are no longer the best option.
They provide case management professionals, skilled nursing, medical social workers, home
health aides, chaplains, and volunteers to follow their patients. The nurses play critical roles, both in checking on medical issues and acting as a communication conduit for the rest of the team.
Although the nationwide average length of hospice care is 14 days, the duration can be much longer, with recertification happening at 60 days, 120 days, and every 30 days thereafter. Many patients have been in hospice intermittently depending on their conditions.
Jennifer Riek, the Business Development Manager of Egis Quality Senior Home Care, then spoke and explained about the company and the unique services that they offer. Examples of traditional home care services include bathing and dressing, meal preparation, assistance with eating, mobility, toileting and transferring, shopping and errands, light housekeeping, medication reminders and transportation.
Egis goes beyond these services with eldercare management. Some of these activities include
conducting assessment and care plans, assisting with long-term care insurance, serving as medical power of attorney, coordinating medical appointments, help with living options, identifying community resources, and in general being a communicator and an advocate for the client.