The Community Health Accreditation Program, Inc. (CHAP) announced this week that McLean Home Care & Hospice has been awarded CHAP accreditation for Home Health and Hospice Standards of Excellence. McLean has earned this designation consecutively since 2006. CHAP accreditation demonstrates that McLean Home Care & Hospice meets the industry’s highest nationally recognized standards. Rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of service, human and financial resources, and long term viability.

Only 5,000 agencies of the more than 16,000 in the US go through the extensive accreditation process. Of the fourteen VNAs and Hospice programs serving the Farmington Valley, McLean is the only agency that is CHAP accredited. Visit www.CHAPinc.org for an agency locator.

Patricia Adams RN MPH, Administrator of McLean Home Care & Hospice, announced that 91% of home care patients and Hospice families would recommend the agency to friends and family. McLean scored highest in this Medicare patient survey item compared to other area visiting nurse agencies, and several scored below the 79% national average and 80% state average.

91% of McLean Hospice families also would recommend the agency to friends and family. Medicare does not require Hospice patient surveys at this time, but McLean Hospice utilizes SHP to survey Hospice family member’s measure satisfaction. 

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McLean Home Care & Hospice Receives Highest Recommendation Rate.

What is COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is an umbrella term for two respiratory illnesses -- chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. In 1998, approximately 107,000 Americans died of COPD.  COPD's prevalence and death rate are rising. In 2020, COPD is projected to become the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD has a higher mortality rate than asthma. The highest increase in mortality has been in white women, as observed between 1960 and 1998. An estimated 30 million Americans have COPD. However, only 16 million adult Americans have been diagnosed with disease.

The good news is that there are many things people suffering with COPD can do to improve their quality of life.

We asked our patients would they and/or their families recommend the McLean Home Care to friends and family? See how we did and how other agencies in our service area did.

I often meet with families who are struggling with the issue of a parent who has dementia. I know this feeling so well, as I spent ten years helping my dad care for my mother. It was hard for me, living one thousand miles away, to recognize how she was deteriorating and the strain it put on dad. And he, as most caregivers do, covered up her limitations… even to me. Early on, mom would say “I feel like I’m going into a dark hole and can’t get out.” She knew her diagnosis but, with time, lost sight of the cause of her problems. Dad felt that it was his duty to care for her. He told me, “Your mother was totally dedicated to making the best home for you girls and me and now it’s my turn to do this for her.” Luckily, I had a friend who was volunteered with the Alzhiemer’s Association, and she helped me learn about options. With time, this helped me to guide my parents to select a continuum of care. Through the respite program there, Dad got the breaks in caring for my mom that he so desperately needed, allowing him to still play golf with his buddies keeping him happy and well. And eventually, mom moved into a memory care assisted living right on the same campus so they each got the best care and support for this hard journey.

There are more than 40 million people age 65 and older in the U.S., and helping them remain independent and safe in their own homes has gotten much easier thanks to new assistive technology products. “Savvy Senior” columnist Jim Miller shared telephone systems, pill dispensers, and more on the Today Show on February 5^th.  

The first system he featured was the Lifeline® Emergency Response System offered by McLean Home Care. Miller recommended this system with the fall alert feature. As he mentioned, the service with the auto fall alert feature is $55 dollars a month.

For more information, call Cheryl at 860-658-3790.

Whether you have lost a spouse, a child, a friend, a partner, a significant other, or a close associate, a McLean Bereavement Support Group may be of help. We recognize how difficult it can be for you when someone close to you dies. Our Bereavement Support Groups provide a safe and supportive environment to help those who are grieving.

The following Bereavement Support Groups are offered to registered participants at no cost.