Home Health & Hospice Week

Although the home care industry hardly needed it, HHAs and hospices got another reminder to keep their disaster plans ready to go when Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast. Many HHAs, their staff, and patients were devastated by the hurricane and resulting flooding, reports the Home Care Association of New York State. After having his own home and vehicle destroyed and evacuating family, neighbors and pets, LPN Steve Schlamowitz walked nearly two miles to go to work at the Visiting Nurse Service (VNS) of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties, HCANYS says. HCR Home Care's Schoharie office staff notified patients of evacuation orders and helped one patient coordinate evacuation after a foot of water blocked his door, before having its own office hit by flooding, HCANYS says. Many nurses and aides worked at a shelter in Cobleskill, N.Y. After unsuccessfully trying to get medical supplies to the shelter by road, HCR nurses [...]