VNS Home Care to open near Wal-Mart

Visiting Nurse Services (VNS) Home Care and ExtraCare Services have announced plans to open an office at 808 Laurel St., Suite B near Wal-Mart in Creston later this spring.

The community-based health care programs will provide in-home rehabilitation following illness or injury, medication management, skilled nursing services, occupational and physical therapy and will address concerns about home safety. Private home care and concierge services will also be available to community members living in Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor and Union Counties.

“This is a great opportunity for us to make a positive difference in the overall health of individuals and their families living in southern Iowa through promoting safety and independence for those who have had limited access to home care services,” said Stephanie Bishop, ExtraCare Services director. “Our quality care and a full range of services will be available wherever individuals call home and will be a great complement to VNS Home Care.”

Tammy Stapp, vice president of clinical services for HCI Care Services and VNS of Iowa, says the organization expects to offer Medicare- and Medicaid-certified home health care services to the area once clearance is achieved from Center for Medicare Services, which could be as early as late spring. Contracts are currently in place with each of the Medicaid managed care organizations as well as with the Veterans Administration for serving qualifying veterans at home. Stapp anticipates the program will create nearly a dozen career opportunities for local health care workers.

“There are many advantages to receiving health care within the comfort and privacy of one’s own home, including quicker recovery times,” Stapp said. “VNS Home Care is experienced in partnering with physicians and the medical community to ensure a safe, comfortable and supportive experience for those in need of medical care at home. Patients tend to do better when they are able to remain living in their own environment and even better when surrounded by their family and friends.”

VNS Home Care will offer home care services, including skilled nursing, occupational and physical therapy and rehabilitation following illness or injury. A care team comprised of registered nurses, a social worker, licensed occupational and physical therapists and home care aides will work together with a patient and his or her family to individualize recovery plans, follow physician-ordered plans of care and coordinate care with other health care providers. Specialized nursing services, such as infusion therapy and wound care, will be offered by skilled and qualified nursing staff for those patients having difficulty leaving their homes.

ExtraCare Services is a private duty, private-pay service that aims to support independence and safety at home by offering various services delivered by home health aides, registered nurses and trained companions. Some examples include medication set-up, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, transportation, laundry, cleaning, pet care, bathing, grooming and trusted companionship.

VNS Home Care and ExtraCare Services are programs of HCI Care Services and Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa – a non-profit health care organization committed to promoting dignity, independence and quality of life for all through education, compassion and effective community-based care. The organization has a longstanding history of serving Union and surrounding county residents through its hospice program, HCI Hospice Care Services, since 2000. And in 2014, Greater Regional Medical Center selected HCI Hospice Care Services to operate Greater Regional Hospice Home.

For more information about the programs' shared non-profit mission, community-based services and job openings visit www.hcicareservices.org and www.vnsia.org.