SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Last week, local business owner Ms. Wendy Olayvar stood up for the over 2,000 patients in San Diego County who on a yearly basis, use Interim HealthCare’s home health care services. Ms. Olayvar, President/CEO of Interim HealthCare of San Diego County, visited Capitol Hill to meet with Senator Dianne Feinstein to demonstrate how home health care helps patients – particularly seniors over the age of 65 – by ensuring they can stay in their homes and still receive highly skilled, professional health care.
With the national discussion on health care, Ms. Olayvar and Interim HealthCare want to ensure that those who want to receive health care in their own homes can continue to have access to it. Ms. Olayvar met with Kristin Wikelius, Legislative Assistant from Senator Dianne Feintein’s office, explaining how Interim HealthCare of San Diego County patients have better results than the national average on hospital readmission.
Among the 23 Interim HealthCare locations in California, most have lower hospital readmission rates for their heart patients than the national average of 29 percent. Ms. Olayvar’s 2 offices reflect 23 percent and 27 percent hospital readmission rate, showing a decrease compared to the national average. (Source: Medicare Home Health Compare Data, June 2009.)
In addition to discussing how local citizens benefit personally from Interim’s home health care services, Ms. Olayvar also explained the financial benefits of home health care. From a nationwide perspective, home health care has the potential to dramatically cut America’s health care costs by reducing the number of avoidable acute care hospitalizations among seniors. Interim HealthCare of San Diego County employs over 200 people, including registered nurses; physical, speech and occupational therapists; home health aides, and more.
“Patients and their families want to know what it will mean for them when national health care reform comes home,” said Ms. Olayvar. “It was important to me to ensure that our patients’ voices are heard as decisions are being made on Capitol Hill. Home care must be factored into national health care legislation, and patients and their caregivers need to understand what the end product is going to look like, and what happens when they need to use it.”
Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare(R) is one of the nation’s leading franchise organizations providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through a network of more than 300 offices, independently owned franchisees provide diverse services including community based home health care, hospice and health care staffing. Under the HomeStyle(R) Services brand, Interim franchisees provide non-medical in-home senior services focused on the qualities of an enriched life.
Interim is unique in combining the commitment of local franchise ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards. Interim’s independent franchise owners employ more than 75,000 health care workers who serve 50,000 people each day.
For more information, visit www.interimhealthcare.com .
