Home Care Brings Rodger to the Rescue
November is National Home Care Month, and so it makes sense that home care is having a moment right now. You can think of this as just another way if you can’t make it to Ruleville, we are bringing Ruleville to you.
Over the past few years, the home care industry has been experiencing rapid growth. It started when insurance companies — as well as Medicare and Medicaid – altered the way they pay for home visits. That’s where Rodger McClain comes in.
Rodger had been working as a farmer when he found an ad for a position as a service tech for a medical supply company. That started out as a good, regular job checking on equipment for Rodger. “I found it was a way to help people. They were mostly older patients and I like being of service to them.”
Over time, Rodger worked his way up the ladder at a big, national medical equipment company but decided to become part of the North Sunflower Family back in 2006. “In corporate life, you have so many hoops to jump through to help a patient. By working with North Sunflower, we just use common sense. That allows us to take better care of our patients,” Rodger told us.
When North Sunflower Medical Equipment started, it had just one employee – Rodger. Now it has 14 employees serving around 160 patients a month. “You get the same equipment as you get in the hospital, but it’s in your home,” Rodger said. “When you have a home health nurse working with the patient, you get a remarkable standard of care.”
One of the reasons home care has been having such a growth spurt is the desire of people to stay at home later in their lives. Nationally, about 70 % of those using home healthcare services are aged 65 and older. With advancements in home medical equipment, illnesses and injuries that previously required in-hospital treatment can now be treated at home. This includes common medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cerebral vascular diseases.
If a patient has a stroke or a heart attack, they are now able to get much of their treatment at home instead of having to stay in the hospital,” Rodger said. “Or even simple things like having an unstable gate. That increases the risk of falling and the patient might not feel safe at home. We can help them with a walker or a wheelchair that allows them to live comfortably at home longer. That makes you feel like you’re really helping people.”
Home care even extends into end-of-life care. “We have brought in some Home Hospice equipment as we have seen a need for people who want to spend their last months at home.” With a licensed respiratory therapist on staff, Rodger’s team works with the wonderful people at Hospice of North Sunflower, who provide hospice care in the patient’s home.
“It just feels good to feel like you’re helping people.”