Helping to mitigate the nation’s leading chronic condition, Interim HealthCare unveils empowering, proprietary approach to holistic care for those with heart failure.
SUNRISE, Fla. — Interim HealthCare Inc., the nation’s leading franchise network of home care, senior care, home health and hospice and healthcare staffing services, is launching the latest offering in its HomeLife Enrichment® series focused on the chronic condition of heart failure. Interim HealthCare’s program supports the patient holistically for their mind, body, spirit and family to ensure an optimal care experience.
As an extension of the doctor’s office, this proprietary standard of care empowers the newly diagnosed person living with heart failure and their loved ones with valuable information about the impact diet, exercise, rest and medication play in the care process. Additionally, this approach stresses the importance of measuring weight and reporting increases daily and recognizing the signs of depression, especially when the diagnosis of heart failure is new.
Currently, more than six million people in the U.S. have heart failure and one in five people will develop it in their lifetime. Heart failure is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. Often misunderstood, heart failure does not actually mean the heart has failed; it means that the heart cannot pump as it should and therefore is failing to meet the body’s needs for oxygen and blood circulation.
“Home healthcare professionals are uniquely suited to provide personal and comprehensive care to help support the millions of Americans living with heart failure,” said Jennifer Sheets, Interim HealthCare Inc. president and CEO. “By working side-by-side with the individual, their loved ones and their full care teams, Interim HealthCare creates a holistic approach to support their mind, body, sprit and family. This approach ultimately helps them on a path toward self-care to manage their condition and live a healthier, fulfilling life.”
A key element of Interim HealthCare’s HomeLife Enrichment for Heart Failure program is its new resource, “Caring for a Loved one with Heart Failure” (caregiver guide). The caregiver guide educates family members about heart failure and provides a deeper understanding of the disease and the care protocols to manage it and move their loved ones towards successful self-care, which is the ultimate goal.
The caregiver guide equips families with the tools and insights needed to care for the whole individual, not just one facet of their disease management. This approach provides a holistic view of heart failure and how interconnected each aspect is with big-picture outcomes. Through exploration of the care process, families will understand what their loved one needs and how best to care for them in ways that improve mental, emotional and physical health:
- Mind: Caring for the mind involves insight and understanding about heart failure which leads to producing new habits that positively impact outcomes. As the heart’s function is vital to the health of the whole body, it can create other serious health problems if it is not brought under control.
- Body: Perhaps the hardest change a person with heart failure must make is to their diet. Caring for the body involves a combination of diet, medication, exercise and rest, and is a crucial part of managing heart failure and minimizing other serious and associated health risks. With heart failure, comes issues with weight gain caused by fluid buildup, it is critical that those living with heart failure are monitoring their weight daily and reporting weight gains to their doctor.
- Spirit: After receiving a diagnosis of heart failure, your loved one may be feeling a mix of emotions, from fear and anxiety to apathy, sadness and depression. When family members recognize these signs and show support for their loved ones, it lifts their heart, calms their emotions and inspires joy amidst their health challenges. This is the purpose of the spirit component of the HomeLife Enrichment care approach.
- Family: The HomeLife Enrichment approach also helps the family by educating, guiding and supporting those caring for a loved one with heart failure. This component fosters greater understanding, improves overall outcomes and encourages self-care.
Interim HealthCare’s proprietary training programs enable home health clinicians and paraprofessionals to perform at the top of their license and provide valuable education and assistance. With more than 55 years’ experience caring for people, and as the First in Home Care®, Interim HealthCare’s multi-disciplinary care teams support clients living with heart failure in familiar surroundings – at home or in assisted living communities.
This unique home-based focus provides a more intimate and unedited view into an individual’s daily life. It also creates an effective education partnership with the individual’s primary care provider or doctor in the hospital. Often, the direction provided by a physician isn’t enough for the true impact of a heart failure diagnosis to sink in. By extending that education into a “real-life” setting, home health clinicians and paraprofessionals get a total view of the patient to better inform a tailored care plan. This difference results in care plans that account for specific support needs, personal motivations and obstacles, and adherence tendencies for improved health management and better quality of life.
Interim HealthCare specialty programs fall under its HomeLife Enrichment standard of care offerings. Currently, these span heart failure, diabetes, COVID-19, cognitive care with a focus on dementia, and other chronic care conditions with more planned in the next 18 months.
Download the free heart failure caregiver guide here and learn more about Interim HealthCare’s HomeLife Enrichment for Heart Failure program by reaching out to a locally owned and operated office. Access the office locater at https://www.interimhealthcare.com/locations/.
About Interim HealthCare Inc.
Interim HealthCare Inc., founded in 1966, is a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing. It is part of Caring Brands International, which also includes UK-based Bluebird Care and Australia-based Just Better Care, both well-known franchise brands in their countries. With more than 575 franchise locations in eight countries, Caring Brands International is a global healthcare leader.
Interim HealthCare in the United States is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service. Franchisees employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit www.interimhealthcare.com.
SOURCE Interim HealthCare Inc.