R O S E A U   C O U N T Y  H O M E   H E A L T H   C A R E Making House Calls Above: Marsha Hagen, RN, makes a routine visit to an at-home client. Below:  Pictured with their director Julie Pahlen, RN, (left) are members of the Roseau County Home Health Care office staff: Becky Landman, Nina Beito, Monica Johnson, and Carol Johnson, LPN (seated).

It takes a special kind of person to be an in-home health care provider. That person often must think beyond traditional boundaries, react immediately to unforeseen circumstances, have a good understanding of medicine, and exude a warm and carrying demeanor.

A special kind of person, indeed, but ask the people who perform these tasks and they’ll quickly tell you it’s all just in a day’s work.

Meet the staff of Roseau County Home Health Care, a division of Roseau Area Hospital and Homes.
This team of nurses and nurse’s aides perform this sort of activity on a daily basis, and though most people don’t fully understand the complexity of their jobs, once you’ve visited with them you’ll have a much deeper appreciation for the service they provide.

Brenda Wubbels, RN (left) and Rachel Green, RN go over schedules of their upcoming visits.

“There’s nothing earth-shattering about what we do, but to the people we serve, the things we do often make all the difference in the world,” says Marsha Hagen, RN, a 29-year employee of RAHH, with nearly ten of those years as a Home Health Care nurse.

Tasks such as changing a post-surgical dressing, setting up medications, and assisting with personal hygiene are just a few of the services these team members perform for their at-home clients across Roseau County.

Without their help, many of these patients would have to give up the one thing they cherish most, which is the independence that comes from living at home.

“For most clients, all they really want is to be able to stay at home to enjoy familiar surroundings and to sleep in their own bed,” Marsha says. “The Home Health Care team gives them that opportunity.”

“They still may have health concerns,” adds Rachel Green, RN, “but with supervision they are managed to a point where they can stay in their home safely.”

Staying at Home
Home care is all about people wanting to live in their homes as long as possible. Sometimes it takes only a few services or a little bit of help to make that happen. Other times it is much more involved.

Home Health Care aide Connie Engler assists Ethel Simmons with her medication during a recent home visit.

“Sometimes the task is a large post-surgical dressing change, which can be extremely unnerving for the patient. I’ve had patients who couldn’t even look at it at first, let alone help with the dressing change,” says Brenda Wubbels, RN. “But after several visits, they are soon able to participate in little ways, and before you know it many of these people have learned how to take care of it themselves.”

Marsha agrees.

“A lot of our job is teaching. It’s really rewarding when you teach someone how to do things they thought they never could do. Lots of times they’re just amazed, and they feel so good because they just can’t believe what they can do for themselves,” she says.

While it’s true clients find Home Health Care visits rewarding, sometimes there is a period of adjustment that must occur first.

“It can be an issue of privacy, or a delayed willingness for assistance,” Brenda says, though eventually patients become comfortable and actually look forward to the visits. “For some of them, we are the only people they see all day.”

Without a Home Health nurse’s assistance, some would-be clients rely on visiting family members for help. Unfortunately, these family members often spend most of there already limited time caring for their relative instead of enjoying a meaningful conversation with them.

“Our involvement takes a lot of pressure off the family,” says Heidi Stein, a Home Health Aide. “Now they can actually visit with their loved one instead of providing care every time they walk in the door.”

Qualifications
To qualify for Home Health Care, a person must first have a referral. This can come from the person’s physician, a family member, or they may place a self-referral.

Monica Johnson and Carol Johnson, LPN (background) are two members of the Home Health Care office staff who coordinate home visits and provide essential behind-the-scenes assistance for the home health nurses and aides.

Service costs may be covered if the person meets certain criteria.

“We’re always willing to do a free evaluation to see if the person qualifies for Home Health Care,” Marsha says. “If they qualify, we contact their doctor and request orders allowing us to see that person.”

The free evaluation can begin with a single phone call to the Home Health Care office.

“We’re very respectful of our clients,” says long-time registered nurse Sharon Pelowski. “Everything is confidential and private, just like in the hospital or nursing home, only in the comfort of their own home.”

To learn more about Home Health Care, or to request a referral, call (218) 463-3211.