The COVID-19 pandemic presented a lot of challenges across many industries. While no sector was fully immune, the health care industry was hit particularly hard, struggling to care for an overwhelming influx of patients while also trying to keep personal protective equipment and other much-needed supplies in stock. Fear of COVID-19 and the desire to stay safe quickly expanded home-based care options like telehealth, which had previously struggled to find acceptance. In many ways, it encouraged, if not forced, many hesitant providers to explore telehealth solutions to stay in touch with their patients.HealthKeeperz says it recognizes that troubling times can be transformational for an industry.
They can bring about change and innovation, as necessity breeds ingenuity and forces everyone to reevaluate what they’re doing, why they do it, and if it can be done better. HealthKeeperz has found itself uniquely positioned to bring innovation to the home health care arena, says HealthKeeperz President Tim Brooks.
“I really enjoy thinking about the big problems facing the health care industry today,” Brooks, the son of founder Henry Brooks, says. “For instance, I’m thinking a lot about new health care structures that focus on access to care, cost of care, quality of care, and the experience of care (customer experience).
“Addressing these issues means health care leaders will have to leave the silos we’ve become so comfortable in and think more holistically about people and the care we want to provide. I see HealthKeeperz as a real tool to address these issues and drive real change in the home health space.”
Health Care Shifting Toward Home-Based
Home-based health care is expanding. During the pandemic, home-based care became a lifeline, not just for people who couldn’t physically leave their homes as it had in the past. It expanded to support those unable or unwilling to tolerate the health risk of going to a medical setting.
“Our goal is to help ensure that people can be healthy at home,” says Brooks. “Our job is to oversee their care and make sure health care services are being provided and that there is some sense of well-being for those people we care for.”
Through this expansion, health systems recognized that home care could do more. It can provide a viable alternative to many hospital stays, rehab, nursing homes, and facility-based hospice. This realization led to new partnerships between HealthKeeperz and health systems to become a seamless extension of facility-based care.
Benefits of Home-Based Health Care Over Traditional Places of Service
There are many reasons home-based health care is becoming a more attractive option for patients. It’s more affordable. It may seem more expensive to travel to one’s home and offer one-on-one care. But it’s more cost-effective because home health care providers can deliver highly personalized and targeted care to help patients meet the goals set by their doctors without the added expenses or responsibilities for room and board. HealthKeeperz believes this could be one solution to out-of-control health care spending.
The quality of care is comparable to what’s available in a facility, according to HealthKeeperz.
“Home health care is usually less expensive than hospital care or a skilled nursing facility, but just as effective and more convenient,” explains the HealthKeeperz website.
Comfort is another advantage. Almost anyone will say they prefer to stay in their home for care. It’s familiar and feels safe. Instead of being surrounded by strange monitor noises and sick patients, they can be there with family and friends, motivating them to get well or providing them with peace during their final days—depending on the situation.
Says HeathKeeperz, “Who wouldn’t prefer the comfort of one’s own home to the often cold and sterile environment of a hospital or assisted living facility? Patients who receive home health care have a higher quality of life, more freedom, stronger connection to family members, and often faster recovery times.”
A Transition to More Home-Based Care Is Not Without Its Challenges
A transition isn’t without its challenges. Two which are perhaps the most impactful today have been supply chain issues and lack of health insurance payer understanding of the benefits and value of home-based care. But with Brooks at the helm, HealthKeeperz remains at the top of the heap for progressive patient assistance.
HealthKeeperz states on its website, “Through the ensuing decades, Howard Brooks and the leadership team grew HealthKeeperz into a true integrated health system, providing an array of home-based health services, equipment, and products to give the company’s patients higher quality of life, dignity, and the clinical excellence they deserve.”