Northeast HomeCare – Clinical Specialties

Telehealth Program

Northeast HomeCare utilizes telehealth in the care of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic diseases. Patients with these illnesses run a high risk of exacerbation and repeated hospitalization. Long-term chronic disease self-management is an extremely important skill that patients and family members need to learn. The adoption of lifestyle changes and new health habits is also important to improving the quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses.

Every morning, patients on the Northeast HomeCare Telehealth Program use a telehealth unit plugged into their phone line to transmit their vital signs and symptoms to a nurse at Northeast HomeCare. The touch-screen units are about the size of a paperback book. Depending on the patient’s condition, a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter and weight scale may also be included in the set-up. Disease-specific symptom questions and patient education are also displayed on the screen. Once the data is sent over the patient’s phone line to a secure website, the Northeast HomeCare nurse evaluates the patient’s readings to determine whether some sort of intervention is needed. Perhaps the patient’s weight has increased by a few pounds. This could be the first sign of an acute problem for patients with CHF. Sometimes a phone call is all that is needed, but at times, a same-day home visit by the nurse is in order. The nurse also can communicate any concerns directly to the patient’s primary care physician (PCP), who may make adjustments to medications or other changes to the plan of care. All of these interventions are designed to detect and address the problem early so that the condition can be stabilized at home, preventing the patient from needing to be hospitalized.

Northeast HomeCare’s Telehealth Program empowers patients to care for their own chronic diseases and engage more efficiently with their healthcare providers. Patients learn about the inherent relationships between the food they eat and their weight. They discover the importance of following their therapeutic diets. Patients monitoring their blood pressure also learn how important it is to take their medications as prescribed. Additionally, oxygen saturation can be monitored while a patient is being weaned off home oxygen. Trends can be printed out as an additional tool to help teach patients about their condition.

Telehealth does not replace nurses by any means. Instead, it enhances what nurses can do, and helps nurses, physicians, patients and families increase communication and collaboration in order to more effectively manage chronic diseases at home.

Please take a minute to view our slideshow presentation on the Home Teleheath Program.

Myomo® Robotic Technology for Stroke Rehabilitation

The first home health agency internationally to make Myomo available, Northeast HomeCare pioneered the use of the Myomo technology in the home care setting. A number of Northeast HomeCare rehabilitation therapists have been certified to work with Myomo.

Utilizing the revolutionary Myomo equipment, which engages patients’ own motion in their recovery process, Northeast HomeCare is able to more effectively serve patients affected by strokes, spinal cord and brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. Most notable about the Myomo technology is that it can even support patients whose injury occurred as many as 20 years ago, bringing new hope and opportunities to patients coping with long-term disabilities.

Northeast HomeCare was the first home care agency in the nation to make Myomo available to its patients and remains the only home care program on the North Shore offering this technology. A recent Salem News article describes the technology in action. Check out Northeast HomeCare’s featured spotlight on the Myomo website.

Specialized Diabetes Management Services

Northeast HomeCare is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of people coping with diabetes throughout the communities of the North Shore. With a Certified Diabetic Educator on staff, Northeast HomeCare is able to provide specialized care, education and support to diabetic patients and their families.

In addition, Northeast HomeCare has partnered with The Herrick House, the North Shore’s only assisted living residence with 24-hour on-site licensed nursing care, on a new diabetes management program. Utilizing the skilled clinical resources available through Northeast HomeCare, the program provides a higher level of support to The Herrick House residents with diabetes.

According to Karen Gomes, RN, Executive Director of Northeast HomeCare, the Diabetes Management Program addresses two types of patients. One is The Herrick House resident who needs increased assistance with insulin. The other is the person in the community who would like to go into assisted living, instead of a skilled nursing facility, but up until now is unable to because of conditions related to his or her diabetes.

To learn more about the Diabetes Management Program at The Herrick House, visit www.theherrickhouse.org.

Dedicated COPD Program

For patients living with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder), Northeast HomeCare offers a specialized program designed to enhance their quality of life while bridging the gap between the hospital setting and their home. The benefits of our COPD Program include close coordination and collaboration with Beverly Hospital to ensure patients’ smooth transition home; the presence of a Registered Respiratory Therapist for care planning, staff education and patient assessment; access to an on-staff Physical Therapist trained in chest physiotherapy; and extensive patient and family education. In addition, Telemonitoring services for COPD patients will become available in September, 2010.

Expert Wound Management Services

Northeast HomeCare employs a full-time Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse (CWOCN) to oversee the treatment of wounds, educate staff and consult with Beverly Hospital’s Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine Center. Her expertise enables our home care program to assist at-home patients with a number of wound care issues. Our CWOCN maintains over 35 years of nursing experience and is seasoned in treating a variety of wounds, including problem wounds.

For additional information on Northeast HomeCare’s specialized programs, please contact us at 978-921-2615.

  • On-Staff Specialists
    and Advanced Practitioners:
  • Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse (CWOCN)
    Dolores Mueller, RN
  • Cardiac Nurse Specialist
    Melinda Grieco, RN, MS
  • Certified Diabetic Educator (CDE)
    Glenn Selig, RN
  • Certified Prosthetist
    Jane Holland, PT
  • Myomo Certified Practitioners
  • Alzheimer’s Association Certified Clinicians