Call 1.877.289.3997
Press Coverage
|
London Free Press
myNurse brings care to the door. Clients are guaranteed the same nurse.By Dale Carruthers Bayshore Home Health is taking the wait out of the doctor's waiting room. Earlier this year, the country's largest provider of home and community health-care services introduced its new myNurse program with the aim of prolonging independent living by allowing seniors or others to access professional health care in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. The service sends specially trained registered nurses into private residences to deliver a comprehensive health management program focusing on monitoring, planning and education. "myNurse identifies and proactively manages health concerns," said Bayshore's London-area director, Mary Carter. The service begins with a complimentary consultation to explain the features, allowing individuals and family members to meet their nurse and ask questions. Involving the client's family in the process is important, Carter said. Next, clients receive a personalized health and wellness plan, which the nurse continuously monitors to ensure the client is meeting their objectives. A full physical, including heart rate, blood pressure, weight, flexibility, skin health, glucose and cholesterol screenings is completed. The nurse also identifies any potential home safety hazards and implements a medication management plan. "We go in and assess them physically (and) mentally," said myNurse consultant Jackie Hickey. "We create a health-management and wellness plan." Hickey, a registered nurse with more than 20 years of experience in the field and the classroom, left the hospital to join the myNurse team three months ago. "Over the years I have seen Bayshore's growth and development and appreciated the ferocity of the company to be very community-based," she said. As part of the myNurse program, Hickey communicates closely with her clients' other health-care providers, from personal physicians to surgeons to pharmacists. "We're connecting all the dots between all the health-care providers through this service," she said In addition to assisting her clients with health care and medical services, Hickey also helps them navigate the health-care system for possible funding -- something that can be quite confusing, she said. After each myNurse visit, a comprehensive report detailing the client's current health and daily living challenges is given to the client or their family. The report includes recommended follow-up actions. "It's just a way of knowing they've been looked after," Carter said. And the service isn't just for the elderly -- it's for anyone, Carter said From people with health conditions that must be closely monitored to individuals with mobility issues or to the four million Canadians living without a family doctor, myNurse can help, said Carter. "With some physicians now limiting clients to one issue per visit," said Carter, "the myNurse program enables you to ask your nurse as many questions as you want." To ensure the best possible service, clients are assigned a regular nurse.
The myNurse program promotes proactive not reactive health care, she added. "It costs less in the long run," said Carter. "I think people are going to become more involved in their own personal health care, especially if it's easily accessible in their own home.' Monthly visits cost $109 a person or $169 a couple. Quarterly and single visits cost $129 a person or $199 a couple. Currently the myNurse program has three full-time nurses covering the London area. "We've got an aging population; we've got the baby boomers -- it's changing the face of health care because of the need," Hickey said. "Over the years working as a nurse, I've seen the gaps in the health-care field." With offices across Canada, Bayshore, established in 1966, has more than 57,000 clients delivering 5.2 million hours of home care annually. Named one of Canada's 50 best-managed companies, Bayshore has 8,000 employees. "We need to make some adjustment to how we look at preventative health care in the future. Prevention is becoming integral," said Hickey, adding Canadians often shun paying for any medical service. "A lot of people are making the decision to invest in their health care," she said. "It's empowering. People can be proactive about their health." In-home health-care options Registered nurse
Registered practical nurse
Personal support worker
Companion
Choosing the right home health-care provider Some questions to ask:
|
|
 |
|
"That's why it's called myNurse -- it will always be the same nurse, and appointments are made at a time that's convenient for you," Carter said.
