Home Monitoring Program: What You Need to Know
Is our Home Monitoring Program right for you? Read this blog post to see if it is a good fit for you or your loved ones.
Did you know that you or a loved one can receive home healthcare services from a pharmacist and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at no cost* through your local Wellness Pharmacy?
The Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program is a referral-based, home care assistance program that complements a doctor’s care – in the comfort of your own home. It is ideal for caregivers or those who wish to maintain independent and don’t want to move to a nursing home.
Read on to learn more about the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program!
*certain criteria may apply
Benefits of the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program
The Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program is more than just medication management. Our primary goal is to keep you or your loved one safe and happy in their own home.
Here are some additional benefits you can expect from the program:
- Medication monitoring to ensure adherence, reduce errors, reduce the risk of additional costly treatments
- Ease stress on family and caregivers
- Improve management of health conditions and clinical outcomes
- Preserve independence
- Improve our patients’ quality of life
How the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program Works
If you have never used home healthcare services before, you might be confused about how it all works. But not to worry, the entire process is simple, and you can feel confident that you or your loved one are in good hands.
As the first step in the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program, our pharmacists visit patients in their homes to conduct wellness checks to:
- Review a patient’s current medication regimen
- Identify drug-related problems such as drug interactions, side effects and dosing issues
- Conduct a medicine cabinet review, and remove expired or outdated medications (disposing of them responsibly)
- Train patients on the use of medical devices such as a blood glucose meter or nebulizer
- Create a current medication list (Best Possible Medication History)
- Prepare a complete summary with recommendations on dosing, and changes to medication and/or medication regimen and send it to the patient’s physician and other members of the healthcare team
- Develop an Individualized Care Plan for the patient’s ongoing home health monitoring by a nurse
- Provide the physician and other members of the healthcare team with regular reports on health and medication status and concerns
We know all of our patients are unique; that’s why we provide personalized care to meet your individual needs.
Ongoing Home Care Assistance
As part of the program, you or your loved one will also receive ongoing home care assistance. As a patient, this means that you can rest easy knowing that you have the support you need to keep up with your treatment plan. On the other hand, as a caregiver, you will have extra time for yourself and your own needs.
Patients receive ongoing wellness checks from Licensed Practical Nurses who provide customized home healthcare services as outlined in each patient’s Individualized Care Plan. Home monitoring visits may include:
- Administration of medications and monitoring of side effects
- Administration of injections – daily or weekly (e.g. insulin, heparin, methotrexate, etc.)
- Application of transdermal patches
- Monitoring of blood pressure, pulse rate, body weight, blood glucose, and acute and chronic medical conditions
- Continued training on the use of medical devices and medication adherence with the goal of supporting patient independence and medication self-management
Who Needs Home Healthcare Services?
Ideal candidates for home care assistance include patients who:
- Are unable to manage their own medications after a sudden change in health status such as a stroke or heart attack
- Have difficulty taking their medications due to physical or cognitive barriers such as visual or mobility impairment, mental health concerns or addiction
- Have a history of medication-related hospitalizations or challenges in medication compliance
- Have multiple chronic conditions or complex medication regimens
- Need training on the use of medical devices such as blood glucose monitors, nebulizers, inhalers, or medication assistance with insulin injections
- Need home care following a hospital discharge
What Makes Us Different
There are many home healthcare services to choose from, but not all offer the same commitment to quality care. This is what sets us apart from the rest.
Our home health nurses keep a watchful eye on many things like behavioural changes, weight loss, depression or sleeplessness. With permission, they check the fridges to make sure patients are eating properly. If anything is of concern, our nurses inform the right health professionals and follow up to make certain appropriate steps have been taken.
Family members take comfort in this extra level of care, which helps alleviate some of the emotional stress and anxiety that comes from caring for loved ones with complex health concerns.
We recognize that medication monitoring is still needed, even on holidays, and have dedicated nurses and pharmacists who provide medication delivery and administration 365 days a year.
How to Get Started
If you or a loved one require home care assistance with medication management, the use of medical devices, or would benefit from ongoing home health monitoring, talk to your doctor, case manager, or other healthcare professional about referring you to the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program.
Please note that our Home Monitoring services are currently available in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, and Langley.
Do you have any more questions about the Pharmacy Home Monitoring Program? Find answers here.