Weekly Pulse for April 11, 2022

Home Health
(Therapy)
Start Date
Hospice
(Nursing)
Start Date
Clarkston4/114/11
Lewiston4/114/11
Moscow4/124/11
Orofino4/134/11
***Start Dates are contingent on receiving a complete referral***

Clinical Focus

April is an opportunity to introduce areas of focus that Elite is proud to partner with and support in our communities. This week, we are highlighting Testicular Cancer Awareness Month.

Testicular cancer tends to impact the lives of younger men, usually between the ages of 20—35. Through treatment, men are often able to recover in a timely manner. Home health services are often not needed due to this recovery. However, what testicular cancer allows us to focus on is men’s health.

Cultural and social stigmas often limit outreach to men in a meaningful way to create collaborative interventions for addressing common issues. Regular visits with a primary care physician allow for providers to identify needs early in the disease process and engage resources, such as home health, for prevention and management. Co-morbid conditions are identified earlier in male patients with established relationships with a PCP. Early intervention reduces complications later in life and creates systems for health management before disease complexities rise. If you would like more information on testicular cancer and men’s health, check out https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/

Question Corner

What happens if I send a Home Health referral, but the patient should be on Hospice?

We are here to provide the right service to the right patient.

Home health is designed to support recovery and improvement. Patients referred without these 2 things are not appropriate and may not be admitted onto services. The ultimate cost is that the right service will not be provided in a timely fashion.

Our role when this happens is to coordinate for the right referral. This sometimes creates confusion for the patient and may delay care.

The best strategy is to identify a patient’s rehabilitative prognosis. If there is potential, refer to Home Health.

If you are questioning the patient’s capacity for improvement, ask for a Hospice Informational. We are here to help! 

People to know

Clarkston Liaison/Lifeline – Angie (509) 780-8097

Lewiston Liaison – Beth (509) 254-1381

Moscow & Orofino Liaison – Scott (509) 234-3102

Business Development – Ashley (509) 843-7605