VNA provides health care services at home

Name of program: Visiting Nurse Association Home Health Care Services, 3901 E. Main Ave.; 534-4300.

What it does: Director of communication Debbie Lockhert said the program provides health-care services in the home, such as skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy, home infusions, speech-language pathology, medical social work, and pharmacy consulting. The program provides care to all ages, with the exception of infants, and for every medical diagnosis.

Who runs it: Providence Health Care Services. The program was founded in 1942 as a community-based program but since 1997 has been administered by Providence.

How to get help: Lockhert said that patients must have a doctor’s order for the home services the program provides. Patients also can be referred through hospitals and nursing homes.

Typical client: “Our typical client is usually someone over 75,” said Lockhert. But the patients receiving care can be of any age, since many are receiving intermittent care, such as those recovering from surgery.

She added that many clients are female.

How to help: The agency has projected it will provide $650,000 worth of charity care this year, and it receives only $25,000 from United Way. Since its services are provided in the clients’ homes, the program doesn’t have a need for volunteers, but donations are always accepted.