Holistic nursing at home
Santa Barbara County has a unique home health care organization that is focused on serving its patients and their families without worrying about turning a profit.
“As a nonprofit, VNA Health is more invested in the overall care of the patient,” said registered nurse Jadona Collier, the director of home health. “We provide programs and services that cannot be billed to Medicare or insurance.”
The organization offers holistic care, meaning that, regardless of the service being used — including home health care, palliative care, hospice, and bereavement care — its medical professionals care about patients.
“We know that you are more than a diagnosis, and we truly believe that the best way to get better is to care for all of you,” said registered nurse Sena Woodall, the senior director of hospice and palliative care. “Even better, we have a continuum of care that allows us to walk with patients and families through many different stages of health care.”
Giving consistent, quality care
Happy employees tend to have happier clients, and that starts at the top.
“Each of the leaders believes it is important to serve and care for the staff, making sure they feel valued and heard,” Woodall said. “The staff know they are supported, and that allows them to care for patients and families.”
That care is why VNA Health is accredited with the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval in home health care, palliative care, and hospice care.
“Achieving this accreditation requires diligence and a commitment to quality care by our team of nurses, therapists, social workers, and certified aides,” Collier said. “We support our staff and trained volunteers through ongoing guidance and training.”
Quality care extends to understanding patients’ budget constraints, which is why a loan closet offers free short-term loans of equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, safety shower benches, canes, and crutches.
“We do this to help our patients and community members get the assistance they need so that they can focus on their recovery,” Collier said. “At VNA Health, we are driven by what will help the patients achieve the best outcomes so that they can continue to be well. In a profit-driven model, it is not profitable for these agencies to offer the same level of care.”
Working with patients and their families
Families are often integral to patient care.
“We involve family members in the process, where it’s appropriate, and make sure that everyone knows the plan of care,” Woodall said. “We want to make sure that each patient and family is fully supported and has the tools needed to reach their goal.”
That means ongoing support for both patients and their families is essential.
“The role of families and caregivers is critical to the long-term success of so many of our patients,” Collier said. “We try to identify these key members of the patient care team early so that we can educate and support them as their roles may change as their loved one recovers.”
For example, a patient coming home from the hospital after having open heart surgery will need support with basic activities, like showering or getting dressed. Over time, the patient will become less dependent.
“We try to help our patients’ families understand these changing needs,” Collier said.
Serving the community
VNA Health considers it imperative for the community to have trust in the organization.
“It’s hard to find companies that live out their mission and vision from the top down, and VNA Health is one of those rare places where compassionate care is felt from each and every staff member,” Woodall said.
