The pandemic left devastation across many sectors of the economy. But it also allowed many companies to reevaluate if the status quo still makes sense post-pandemic — or if it ever did.
Home health care company HealthKeeperz adapted its practices to better align with changing patient needs.
“In a time when vulnerable populations are being encouraged to stay at home as much as possible to prevent COVID-19 exposure, the home health industry is proving to be a safer alternative to traditional methods of care,” HealthKeeperz posted on its website. “Hospitals are crowded, doctors are overworked, and tens of millions of surgeries have been postponed as a result of the pandemic.
“Home health care has long been a viable alternative to nursing home placement and recurring doctor’s visits. But the pandemic is reinforcing its many benefits, particularly in times of crisis.”
Home Care Impacted by COVID-19
The pandemic impacted the entire health care industry. Home health care was no exception. Supply chain and other issues made it harder for the industry to function, even as the community needed it more than ever.
The pandemic saw telehealth, a form of home-based care, becoming more accepted. Doctors had to find a way to stay in contact with patients without bringing them into facilities where the most vulnerable might be exposed to COVID-19.
Other home health care saw a similar rise in demand, and physicians needed patients to have access to services normally provided in a facility but without increasing exposure.
Hospices, nursing homes, rehab facilities, wound care, and even some post-op care fall into this category. Home health care services, previously seen as services for homebound people only, suddenly became necessary for other reasons.
And no organization was better prepared than North Carolina-based HealthKeeperz. “The HealthKeeperz team of home health professionals is dedicated to helping you thrive at home,” reads the website.
“Our team includes skilled nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, medical social workers, and home health aides. Working as a team and with your physician, HealthKeeperz home health professionals develop a plan of care centered on you and your goals. Our goal is to help you become as healthy and active as possible.”
How More Home Care Changed Patient Care
While home care expanded for practical reasons, the pandemic presented an opportunity for the health care industry to see how patients would fare if more home-based services were provided.
What they found was that it’s more cost-effective, patients experience greater comfort and satisfaction, and the quality of care is comparable or better than in-patient care. Companies like HealthKeeperz have been able to work directly with physicians to understand their goals for the patient and, in a more familiar home setting, work with patients to meet wellness goals.
Not Without Challenges
Home health care has faced challenges during and after the pandemic, for which HealthKeeperz knew it needed to find innovative solutions to keep the focus on quality patient care.
Supply Chain Issues
Supply chain issues are impactful on facilities. But they can become even more pronounced in a home care setting. Patients are farther apart, and getting devices to patients requires more than taking a supply cart up the elevator.
HealthKeeperz knew that supply chain problems aren’t always controllable. But how companies respond to them is.
Instead of blaming the supply chain, they looked for how to work within this new reality.
This included streamlining and implementing strategies that improved demand-prediction models to stay ahead of patient needs, developed a more transparent inventory and supply chain management system, and improved inter-team communication to better assess current and future needs and quickly address shortages before they diminish patient care.
Payer Pushback
Home health care has historically been exclusive to homebound patients. And many payers are hesitant to pay for certain types of care in a home setting, despite its cost-effectiveness for the patient and the third-party payer (e.g., insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid).
This has led to payment disputes and often lack of access to needed care for patients despite very legitimate COVID fears, lack of transportation, or a strong home support system.
As a faith-based home health care company, HealthKeeperz partnered directly with health systems that render services and internally manage payments for all levels of care. These systems believe in the power of home health care to improve patient access and cost savings while delivering the same quality care.
What’s Next for HealthKeeperz?
HealthKeeperz sees an industry that will continue to expand in its role and respect for its ability to deliver quality care in the home. They look forward to seeing more patients with cost-effective access to the life-saving health care they need.
“Our goal is to help ensure that people can be healthy at home,” says HealthKeeperz President Tim Brooks. “Our job is to oversee their care and make sure health care services are being provided and that there is some sense of well-being for those people we care for.”
