Your March priority: Kidney disease outreach and education

Become a champion for renal health by observing National Kidney Month this month and World Kidney Day on March 9.

More than 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease, though most don't know they have it until their condition has progressed. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 660,000 Americans have kidney failure.

As renal conditions continue their course as a serious health problem in our nation, it makes sense to educate about kidney disease while spreading the word about how your services can help. These tips can help you get started.

  • Reach out to a local church that serves your community’s African American population and offer to sponsor a National Kidney Sundays event. Here's a great toolkit to kick off your planning.
  • Show that your agency cares about kidney health by posting informative graphics about diabetes and chronic kidney disease on your social media feeds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created info cards/memes to make this easy. 
  • Feature a kidney-disease related article on your website or in your newsletter. Ready to start a newsletter? TAG Partners offers ready-made newsletters for home care and hospice.
  • Have an open discussion forum or teach local community groups about kidney-related topics. Find tons of teaching topics in the National Kidney Foundation's A to Z Health Guide.
  • Check out the list of kidney screenings and awareness events being conducted this month across the country and find one where you live. Become a care partner and co-sponsor the event. If there’s no event planned for your community, take charge and plan one for next year. 
  • March 28 is American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert Day. Diabetes is a major risk factor for kidney disease, so this day’s occurrence during National Kidney Month is the perfect time to spread the word. Visit the general practitioner offices in your market and educate them on your agency’s efforts to care for their diabetic patients. Drop off your agency's disease-specific flyers and brochures while you're there. 
  • Sponsor a quarterly discussion about kidney disease and other chronic conditions in a local ALF or ILF. Spread the love and get as many facilities as you can to co-sponsor the group discussions. A great class to teach the facility residents is one about chronic disease management. To get individual item pricing, please call TAG Partners at 866-232-6477 ext 2018.

February 2015: Get ready to recognize referral sources

March is almost here, which means it’s almost time for one of the most important days of the year in home care: National Doctors Day. Use the day as an opportunity to recognize the physicians in your community and strengthen their relationship with your agency. Call on the doctors in your service area and spread the word about how much your agency appreciates the work they do.

  • Pay doctors a visit they won’t soon forget by educating them on Care Plan Oversight, Transitional Care Management, and the money they could be leaving on the table by not filing for CPO and TCM. An easy way to do this is with our popular CPO and TCM kits, which include brochures, payment calculators, billing guides and quick reference guides to help you show physicians what they could be missing. Find the kits at www.tagwebstore.com/homehealthCPOkit.php and www.tagwebstore.com/transitional-care-management.php.
  • Give doctors heartfelt thanks with products made especially for Doctors Day, and be sure to extend the gesture beyond only your top-referring physicians. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/doctorsday/.
  • Make doctors’ lives a little easier by volunteering to host a free community education class about how to make the most of your doctor visit at a local senior center. Find a ready-made class at www.tagwebstore.com/startupkit-products.php.

While recognizing professionals this month, it’s important not to forget about another important group: social workers. March is National Professional Social Worker Month. Take the time to highlight the work done by this dedicated group of professionals.

  • Deliver thank-you cards and stickers to social workers in your agency and at local hospitals, making sure to call on those who work in your local hospital discharge offices. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/socialwork/.
  • Promote the benefits of social work by distributing social worker-themed mouse pads, which contain a 25-sheet to-do list, at-a-glance calendar, reasons to refer to home health, and the benefits of social workers. Give these to discharge planners at your local hospitals. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/tablet-mousepads.php.

Mark March 24 on your calendar: American Diabetes Alert Day. According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes – that’s 8.3 percent of the population. Among people age 65 or older, 10.9 million people, or 26.9 percent, have diabetes. Make your agency a champion for diabetes education in your community.