Senior Home Care's Fort Walton Office Beats National Averages in Patient Re-Hospitalization Scores

CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior Home Care's Fort Walton office, a Medicare-certified home health care agency located at 2177 West Highway 98, is pleased to report patient re-hospitalization scores that are less than half the national averages.

The office's 30-day re-hospitalization rate for Medicare patients with congestive heart failure is 7.5%, while the national average stands at 24.7%. For all patients and all diagnoses, its re-hospitalization rate is 9.64%, compared to the national average of 20%, reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Medicare-only patients) for the period 7/1/12 through 6/30/13.

Lynn Wilson, Florida's Regional Vice President of Sales and Operations for Senior Home Care, says, "Quality care and minimizing costs are top of mind in the industry these days. We understand that doctors and hospitals are concerned about avoiding penalties associated with patient hospital re-admissions. That is why our company developed a Transitional Care Program that uses evidence-based practices especially geared to the care of patients with chronic conditions, like heart failure and cardio-pulmonary disease. Those patients are at higher risk for avoidable re-admissions."

"Our outcomes are only as good as the clinicians behind the care," adds Claudia Meakin, the office's Director of Operations. "We work closely with patients to show them how to recognize early indicators that their condition may require intervention or a call to their physician. Our goal is to promote self-care management and empower patients to take important steps that can help minimize last-minute trips to the emergency department."

Senior Home Care's Transitional Care Program focuses on providing four pillars of care, including: medication self-management; appropriate follow up with primary care physician/specialist; use of a personal health record; and coaching patients to recognize important warning signs/symptoms – like weight or blood pressure changes and swelling -- and teaching patients how to respond.

Senior Home Care, Inc. has been treating seniors throughout Florida and Louisiana with quality home health care services since 1994. With 47 branch locations (Senior Home Care in Florida and Synergy Home Care in Louisiana) and 1,800 employees, the company is one of the largest home health care providers in the Southeast. Working in conjunction with patients' physicians, Senior Home Care's clinicians treat more than 50,000 seniors each year in their homes and assisted/independent living facilities. For more, visit www.seniorhomecare.net.

SOURCE Senior Home Care