Delnor Home Health is now offering well@home TELEHEALTH technology for patients with CHF, COPD,* diabetes and joint replacement.

Delnor Home Health patients are being trained to use state-of-the-art well@home Telehealth devices in their homes. The units transmit information though regular phone lines and are provided at no cost to the patients or their payors.

• Delnor Home Health's well@home Telehealth system
• Encourages patients to become more involved and proactive in their own health care
• Interacts with the patient and/or caregiver to support their individualized plan of care
• Performs physiologic tests including pulse, blood pressure, weight, pulse oximetry and EKG
• (three-lead EKG is administered by the home health nurse)
• Transmits test results to clinicians, the physician's office and/or the clinical chart
• Reminds patient to take medications or perform activities that are ordered by the physician
• Monitosr patient compliance with medications and other prescribed treatments
• Educates patients about their disease process, how to perform prescribed treatments, how to assess progress and how to recognize a potential problem

Based on clinical trials, incorporating well@home Telehealth into skilled home health care can:

• Reduce unnecessary nursing visits - the nurse can monitor vital signs and schedule visits according to need Improve outcomes by reinforcing compliance with the physician's orders
• Reduce emergency room visits and re-hospitalizations by addressing symptoms before they become serious
• Reassure the patient and caregiver by providing a means to self-monitor and educational materials that are easy to understand (also available in Spanish)
• Reduce the number of calls to physicians when patient-specific protocols are set based on parameters for individual tests
• Improve the patient's quality of life

*We hope to have units available for other diagnoses in the near future.

Patient Criteria for well@home Telehealth

1. Patient must be admitted to Delnor Home Health with a need for skilled nursing services.
2. Patient or caregiver must have the dexterity, coordination and cognitive ability to use the Telehealth unit.
3. Patient must have a land line telephone.
4. Physician must write an order that specifies that Delnor Home Health may assess for or provide Telehealth.
5. Home assessment by the admitting nurse must document that the patient and home are appropriate for home health/Telehealth.

 The well@home Telehealth system is not an emergency response system. The patient will be directed to call a nurse, physician or 911 if test results or their input indicates the need for immediate intervention.

For more information about Delnor Home Health's Telehealth program please call 630/513-0370.