Compassionate Care From the Comfort of Home: How HomeCare Maryland Makes a Difference
As a provider of in-home skilled nursing and physical therapy services, the HomeCare Maryland team prides itself on its personal approach to care. David Pareja, executive director at HomeCare Maryland, recalls a recent visit to a patient’s home, during which a physical therapy assistant helped ease a patient's anxieties about having new people in their space. The physical therapy assistant met the patient with a smile and made the effort to get to know her better. Before long, the assistant had learned the patient’s favorite music. “In a matter of seconds our physical therapist assistant brought up his phone, searched the client’s known favorite jazz singer, played the music and used the music to help the patient find more comfort during her therapy exercises.” Pareja then observed the patient, who up until that point had been very hesitant to ambulate without the assistance of her walker, set her apprehensions aside and rotate 360 degrees within her walker, happy to discover that she was capable of doing much more than she thought she was capable of doing. Praising the team member’s “innovation and creativity,” Pareja expresses he left the patient’s home that day tremendously proud of the therapist’s service. “That for me is what makes my day. Knowing we have a medical team that looks beyond just the clinical services, that can engage at a very personal level and bring hope and optimism to their physical and mental well-being. Our patients want to strive to drive again, walk the park or be able to go to their daughter’s wedding scheduled a month from now. They thank us,” Pareja says, “for supporting their life’s goals.”
HomeCare Maryland is a comprehensive provider of in-home skilled nursing and physical therapy services. Under the supervision of a community physician, HomeCare Maryland’s interdisciplinary team helps patients to recover safely at home from illness or injury. This team includes a registered nurse, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, speech therapists, occupational therapists and medical social workers. Pareja explains that the comprehensive nature of this team supports the organization’s mission “to help the patient recover safely at home while considering the patient’s full body systems...it’s providing those resources and clinical services that are beneficial for their continued recovery at home.”
While HomeCare Maryland has many similar providers in the arena of in-home medical care, Pareja feels that his organization's partnership with LifeBridge Health helps to distinguish it from other providers. “LifeBridge Health provides an array of holistic services to our patients within the communities we service.” From its five main hospitals and the many centers of excellence to its pharmacies, urgent care facilities, hospice services and more, Pareja feels that LifeBridge Health’s extensive system enables the efficient integration of necessary services for HomeCare Maryland’s patients. Pareja appreciates the role that LifeBridge Health plays in helping connect patients with several options outside the home as needed, while the best care setting is determined for a patient and the treatment outcome.
The convenience of HomeCare Maryland’s in-home health services, the interdisciplinary nature of its team and its partnership with LifeBridge Health are all crucial components in providing high-quality care to patients, but without a compassionate, empathetic approach to the care being provided, all those benefits would be for naught. Fortunately, exceeding expectations to engage patients on a personal level and make sure they feel comfortable comes naturally to HomeCare Maryland’s team of dedicated nurses, therapists and social workers.
Learn more about HomeCare Maryland at lifebridgehealth.org/homecare.