They say there’s no place like home, but for Catholic Health Home Care, it’s more than an expression; it’s a way of doing business. With three home care agencies, a home response service, and new home infusion pharmacy, Catholic Health Home Care has a comprehensive array of services designed to meet the home care needs of patients throughout Western New York.

“Our patients come to us with a variety of needs, from ongoing care for a chronic medical condition to temporary assistance to get them back on their feet following an illness, injury or hospitalization,” said Joyce Markiewicz, President and CEO of Catholic Health Home Care. “Our goal is to restore or maintain independence to help people live safely at home.”

The division serves more than 175,000 patient visits annually through three specialized agencies:

• McAuley Seton Home Care provides short-term nursing and therapy services to help patients resume their regular activities or achieve their highest level of independent living. Services range from professional nursing care, infusion therapy and rehabilitation services to special telemonitoring services to help patients better manage their cardiac or pulmonary conditions at home.

• Sisters Long Term Home Health Care provides care for people living with long-term medical conditions, those who need assistance to remain safely at home, or those who have distant or frail caregivers. A wide range of services are available which allow individuals to maintain their family and community ties while receiving needed care and treatments.

• Mercy Home Care offers non-medical support services to help individuals manage their personal, recreational and household needs. Specially trained and certified home health aides provide a broad range of services, from personal care and housekeeping to laundry, meal preparation and grocery shopping.

Other services provided by Catholic Health Home Care include:

• Home Response, a personal emergency response service that gives subscribers a direct link to emergency help 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week. With just a push of a button, subscribers are connected to highly-trained and experienced emergency response specialists who can send help quickly. For seniors, individuals with medical conditions, or anyone with physical challenges, the Home Response system can help subscribers keep their independence and feel safer living at home. Family members and caregivers can also have peace of mind knowing help is close at hand when they can’t be there themselves to offer immediate assistance.

• A new Infusion Pharmacy service that eases the way for IV therapies at home or in a nursing facility. This new service specializes in intravenous medications and feedings, injections, enteral feedings, pumps and other infusion therapy supplies - all designed to deliver physician-prescribed therapy at home in a seamless and efficient manner. Our trained staff can coordinate all nursing services and provide assessments, education and instruction. Registered nurses and registered pharmacists are on call 24/7 for patient and caregiver support.

• Telemonitoring services that allow patients to easily record their vital signs using special equipment attached to their home telephone line, and transmit this information to specially-trained nurses. Home Care’s nurses monitor the vital signs and make quick adjustments to medications and care as needed, helping patients remain at home and reducing the need to re-enter the hospital for care.

Completing Catholic Health Home Care’s spectrum of care are home rehabilitation, maternal/child services, home wellness, an early intervention program, and spiritual care services that address the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of patients and their families.

Catholic Health Home Care, which was named one of the Best Places to Work in Western New York in Business First’s annual Best Places to Work survey, employs more than 500 associates, including nurses, therapists, home health aides, pharmacists, social workers and chaplains. “We strive to help people enjoy the highest quality of life in the place where they feel most comfortable and at home,” Markiewicz said.

For more information on Catholic Health Home Care, call (716) 685-4870 or log on to www.chsbuffalo.org.