National Associations Make Push For Home Health To Alleviate Strain On Hospitals, Alternative Care Settings

Posted: April 2, 2020

As hospitals nationwide continue to struggle with unprecedented demand for critical services related to the COVID-19 pandemic, home healthcare providers are well prepared to help alleviate the growing strain on the system by caring for patients in the home, according to a new report from the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH).

“Our dedicated providers are ready to relieve some of the mounting pressure in hospitals and emergency rooms across the country,” said Joanne Cunningham, Executive Director of PQHH. “Our workforce is skilled, trained and prepared to offer essential care for Americans in the safety of their homes – hopefully clearing inpatient settings for the sickest patients.”

Their report outlines how lawmakers can rapidly eliminate barriers to home healthcare and allow for a nationwide response from agencies and providers to care for patients as a looming rise in cases mounts in the coming weeks. Doing so, home health leaders say, will help hospitals and facilities alleviate overall capacity issues and help prevent the spread of the virus to the overall community – especially our most vulnerable population: the frail and elderly.

  • Caring for patients with chronic illnesses or post-acute challenges, who are well enough to be discharged from inpatient care but still require close monitoring and ongoing care—especially to help avoid rehospitalizations, which will only exacerbate the pressure on the system.
  • Treating confirmed COVID-19 patients who no longer require inpatient care, and those whose symptoms are manageable at home with close monitoring and care delivered by a skilled clinician.
  • Addressing the healthcare needs of patients under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19.

Download the report

NAHC Webinar: Home Health and Hospice Pandemic Relief -- Medicare and more

NAHC presented a webinar on March 31 to discuss the many changes CMS made this week and how they will impact home health and hospice. If you missed it, watch it here for free.