Interim HealthCare celebrates importance of home health services during National Homecare and Hospice Month
November 8, 2021
South Carolina is one of the top ten states in the U.S. for the highest percentage of people over the age of 65, with the state’s senior population expected to double by the year 2030 according to the S.C. Department on Aging. Interim HealthCare, one of the largest providers of home health services in South Carolina, currently serves more than 15,000 patients in a year and is committed to ensuring services are available to meet the demand of the rapidly growing aging population in the Upstate and Midlands. During National Home Care and Hospice Month, Interim HealthCare honors the contributions of its more than 800 team members that provide home health, hospice, and personal care options for patients to offer comfortable, convenient ways to age in place or recover at home and maintain independence and a greater quality of life.
“In South Carolina and beyond, there are not enough retirement communities to support the demand that is to come, and home healthcare agencies can step in and support patients and their families during challenging times. Many patients feel more comfortable receiving care at home, and it’s also just as effective, more convenient, and usually less costly than a prolonged stay in a hospital or physical rehabilitation facility,” said Charles McDonough, Chief Executive Officer for Interim HealthCare. “Our dedicated team provides more than hospice services too. Our trained nurses, therapists, and home health aides can care for patients with several needs from managing chronic pain and diseases like COPD and diabetes to caring for post-surgical wounds or patients with urinary incontinence. Our incredible team consistently delivers on our ultimate goal to enhance daily living for the patient and provide invaluable support for the family.”
Interim HealthCare’s physical therapy services are one of the ways in-home care can support our senior population. Physical therapy can assist with many different conditions, such as joint replacement or stroke, to help the patient regain strength, stamina, range of motion, and balance. The services are tailored to each patient’s lifestyle and living environment with their individual goals in mind.
Additionally, Interim HealthCare’s physical therapists can offer specific services for those recovering from injuries or conditions due to a fall. The CDC states that falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults aged 65 or older with about 36 million suffering a fall each year. To help reduce this number, physical therapists can provide balance training to patients using a balance pad, a thick piece of foam that engages core and feet muscles when stood on. This type of training helps with coordination, ankle stability, and strength to help prevent serious falls and improve patient safety and confidence.
“Almost nine times out of ten, there will be a physical therapy component to every patient’s care and our goal is to help patients optimize their capabilities to move and function,” said Odette Ray, Therapy Director at Interim HealthCare. “It’s important to promote healthier and more active lifestyles through specific stretches, exercises, or services like balance training, but we can also make recommendations to enhance a patient’s quality of life at home by making the home more accessible.”
Other services that Interim HealthCare offers include telehealth, speech therapy, and personal care services that support daily activities essential for independent living such as personal hygiene, dressing, eating, toileting, and mobility. The caregiving team can also assist with companionship and pet care as well as providing a respite for the primary family caregiver.
While locally owned and operated, Interim HealthCare of the Upstate and Midlands celebrates the heroic caregivers, nurses, aides, and therapists that play an essential role in our health care system across the nation, especially over the last two years, as part of National Home Care and Hospice Month. All franchises of the organization are inviting the public to participate in the ‘Wall of Inspiration’ to honor the contributions of team members that provide care for patients and showcase the moving stories of those who have been impacted by home healthcare.
About Interim HealthCare
Interim HealthCare has delivered high-quality, in-home healthcare to South Carolina since 1979 with the mission of “honoring God through the enrichment of human life.” Interim HealthCare is the recipient of a high industry benchmark, 4-stars, denoting in-home healthcare provided at an extremely high quality. The company provides the full continuum of care – telehealth, personal care, home health, and hospice services – throughout counties in the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina.
