Heart Health

Home is where the heart is, and home health cares for your heart at home. There is no better way to start off the new year than by promoting heart health and your agency’s role in caring for those with heart disease.

Plan now so you can hit the ground running in February when heart month kicks off:

• Join the Go Red for Women movement: https://www.goredforwomen.org/

• Go red for National Wear Red Day: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-month/wear-red-day

• Get your staff and referral partners in gear for a Cycle Nation event: https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=cn_home

• Take part in You’re the Cure: https://www.yourethecure.org/

• Register your team for 2020 America’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR/?fr_id=4961&pg=entry

• Include heart health in your company blogs and social media posts: https://healthfinder.gov/nho/februarytoolkit.aspx#tweets

• Plan a heart healthy potluck for staff and referral partners: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/aha-diet-and-lifestyle-recommendations

• Stock up on heart disease information brochures to promote your agency and the services your offer: https://www.tagwebstore.com/health-care-flyers.php

• Let your track record do your marketing for you. Highlight your Home Health Compare Scores when calling on cardiologists and referring physicians: https://www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-physicians.php

Home health care provides multiple benefits for recovering heart patients and those suffering with chronic heart failure (CHF). Stay in front of your referral sources all year long, and never be empty handed. Visit TAGwebstore.com for all your home health and hospice print media.   

Market Heart Health in February

Heart health will be highlighted throughout the month of February to encourage healthier living and heart disease prevention. Use this observance to emphasize the benefits of discharging to home health when calling on heart specialists within your service area.

Cardiac patients routinely undergo procedures that require post-hospital care. Supply your referral sources print media featuring your services and how partnering with your agency can expedite patient recovery and reduce readmissions.

How discharging to Home Health can benefit hospitals:

• Reduce readmissions

• Reduce length of stay

• Reduce urgent/emergency care

• Improve outcomes and control cost

How discharging to Home Health can benefit physicians:

• Access to current clinical assessment data and outcome feedback

• Improved case management thereby reducing calls

• Early detection / intervention

• Streamlined plan-of-care

• Improved physician follow-up

How to incorporate Heart Health in your February marketing strategy:

• Partner with your referring Cardiologist and the local Red Cross to sponsor a CPR training event. Provide heart disease specific print media customized with your company branding.

• Celebrate National Wear Red Day to raise awareness about women and heart disease. Encourage your staff to wear red on February 1st. Visit Go Red for Women for more information.

• Organize a lunch walk with your staff and your neighboring offices to promote daily exercise.

• Share heart healthy recipes on your social media outlets throughout the month of February.

Grab some special edition Heart Month print media and start building referrals.

Visit TAGWebStore.com for all your Home Health and Hospice marketing needs.

Related topic of Interest:  Portable defibrillators … should you get one? 

Heart Disease and Home Health

The Fall of the year is a time that traditionally brings family, friends and celebration to mind. It’s also a time when many people tend to overindulge in food and drink. While this behavior might not have repercussions for young healthy adults, adults with poor cardio heath could be increasing their chance of developing Congestive Heart Failure.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is the progressive deterioration of heart function as a result of any number of cardiovascular disorders or conditions that overwork the heart. CHF is not curable but it can be managed in its earlier stages with medication, lifestyle changes, and careful monitoring. Care plans vary depending on the underlying cause but many require some form of cardiac rehabilitation. Choosing home health as a rehabilitation partner can maximize a patient’s activity tolerance, provide better case management, and help identify any signs of disease progression.

Home health care improves outcomes for CHF patients while minimizing the risk of complication and readmission. Many agencies are now using telemonitoring systems to closely monitor their CHF patients. Telemonitoring has been found to decrease hospital admissions, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce overall cost of care. 

As the disease progresses home health support is a good solution for managing medicines, and transitioning after a hospital stay. Advanced CHF patients should consider a private duty care service to help with daily tasks, housekeeping, and running errands. Remind your referral sources about the benefits of including home health, private duty, and hospice as care partners for their CHF patients.

Get the word Out:

We have disease specific materials for Home Health, and Hospice that provide patient education while promoting your agency’s services. Visit the TAG webstore for information on our CHF Management Guide for Physician flyers, CHF Health Care flyers for patients, and our  Guide to Hospice and the Patient with Heart Disease brochures.