Cedar Home Health’s Telehealth Program Expands

Cedar Community Foundation recently received word from the Bader Philanthropies, Inc. Board of Directors that a $15,000 grant request to the Helen Bader Daniels Fund of Bader Philanthropies, Inc. for the Cedar Home Health “Staying Healthy, Staying Home” telehealth program was approved. Thanks to the additional funding, Cedar Home Health will be able to expand its service to patients with complex medical issues living at home, helping to reduce hospitalizations and improve quality of life.

Developed by Philips, the telehealth system uses a wireless telestation and easy-to-use devices for patients to take measurements and vital signs by themselves. Information is then automatically shared via a secure internet connection with Cedar nurses, who monitor it and collaborate with the patient and his or her doctor regarding any treatment changes or interventions necessary. Patients who benefit most include those with heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension and other complex medical problems that contribute to repeat hospitalizations.

Studies prove telehealth contributes to measurable improvements:

– Total number of days patients spend in the hospital while on telehealth reduced by 80 percent
– Patients with CHF using telehealth experience a 31 percent reduction in hospital admissions
– Mortality was significantly reduced for patients randomized to telehealth

Telehealth enhances but does not replace traditional medical supervision, noted Kathy Weston, Cedar Community’s director of home- and community-based services. Because of the savings and improved outcomes, most insurances cover telehealth at no cost to the patient with a doctor’s referral.

“Our patients love the control they’re able to take over their own health,” says Weston. “Their doctors love the improved outcomes, and everyone loves the fact telehealth enables more people to remain where they most wish to be: Their current home.”

To learn more about Cedar’s “Staying Healthy, Staying Home” telehealth program and view sample trending reports and online brochures, visit cedarathome.org or call 262-306-2691. Cedar Home Health and Hospice is a not-for-profit, church-affiliated provider of home-based health care, non-nursing supportive services, care management, hospice and palliative care serving clients and their families in six southeast Wisconsin counties. It is a division of Cedar Community, ranked among the nation’s 100 largest not-for-profit continuum of care providers, including independent and assisted living, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, hospice, memory loss services, home medical equipment and home care. To learn more, visit cedarathome.org.