Amanda Wilde (Host): For those who could use help at home to enjoy the highest quality of life, personal care services may be just the right fit. In this episode, hear about WakeMed Home Health's comprehensive care from an experienced nurse with WakeMed Home Health, RN Lorrie Maynard. Welcome to WakeMed Voices, a podcast brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina.

I'm Amanda Wilde. Thank you for being here, Lorrie.

Lorrie Maynard, RN: Thank you for having me.

Host: So, the mission of WakeMed Home Health is to provide expert support for clients in their homes. What are the sort of services that you offer?

Lorrie Maynard, RN: Today we're talking about personal care services, and that's when a patient has come home, either from the hospital, or from one of the WakeMed primary care services, or anywhere in the community of Wake County, and they need extra support. They need a person to help them to keep them safe at home.

Maybe they need supervision. Maybe they need just some extra help with their activities of daily living. Such as bathing, dressing, shampooing hair, fixing hair, grooming, cleaning, ensuring laundry is done, light meal preps, medication reminders, for the dementia patients. We also help run errands. We have taken patients to doctor's appointments, shopping, outings, such as lunch, just personalized shopping, going to pick up medications, even we carry out, specific medical things such as maybe taking care of a Foley catheter, helping the patient continue their exercise programs that maybe they need to exercise, going for walks, we've taken care of a pet. We are the second hand, fourth hand, fifth hand that the patient needs to make sure that they're happy and well taken care of and safe in the home.

Host: So a lot of times your clients are in transition from the hospital or in rehab. Who is a good fit for personal care services? Is it those temporary bridges or is it an ongoing service for people who may need that daily?

Lorrie Maynard, RN: I mean, it's really ongoing. We have patients that receive personal care services that have come out of the hospital. maybe they're just aging and they need the extra pair of hands, extra support, because they can't do the things that they used to be able to do on their own. Some patients, come from their doctor's offices, like you said, come from rehab, hospitalizations. Maybe they just are not feeling well, they're aging, and they just need extra support, with their bath, going to errands, maybe they have a sickness that they're having extra doctor's appointments that they're having to attend to. So we were able to help them through that transition.

Host: So individualized plans for each client's condition. How do you assess that?

Lorrie Maynard, RN: On an initial evaluation, a nurse, which I go out to many of the homes or the apartments or, the senior living facilities, assisted living facilities, I go out and I do a specific, generalized comprehensive assessment. So, I'm trying to figure out what it is that the patient needs, the family needs. What support? Maybe it's respite care. Maybe the family needs some support. Maybe they're going out of town. Maybe the patient needs help getting ready in the morning. So we really individualize that plan of care, to make it specific to what the patient needs to keep them safe and comfortable in their home.

Host: This sounds like a great support for people whose families are there but not able to be there 24/7 or for people who just need that extra reliable daily check in and care.

Lorrie Maynard, RN: It is, Amanda. You wouldn't believe the patients, they're getting older. Their families are of town. A lot of families are, moving to the Wake County area. It's a booming area. So, we're able to provide that support, to keep them at home. All patients want to stay at home as long as they possibly can and we're able to help them do that.

Host: Right, because I know a lot of times family want to be that person, but to hire experts who know medicine and are reliable and you've worked out a schedule with and who can provide assessment is a whole other level of comprehensive care. And then who provides the services? Who are the people that are actually going to be in our homes?

Lorrie Maynard, RN: We are very fortunate we have certified home health aides. Registered nurses do the evaluations for the home health aides. But certified home health aides come into the home and, these aides have taken care of many, many patients, and they're consistent. And we try to pair the aids up with the same person each time to provide that consistency because they become kind of part of the family.

Host: Yeah, I can imagine. So this team is one that is very prepared for anything that may come up with clients. It sounds like it can be a real game changer for people who want to stay at home, as you said, as long as possible. How do people connect with you and how do people generally pay for these personal care services?

Lorrie Maynard, RN: So if you're interested in receiving personal care services for yourself or for a loved one who needs that help at home to stay safe, you can call WakeMed Home Health at 919-350-7990. And then they will put you in touch with me and I will give you a call, and set up a time that we can talk about what your personal care services, is going to look like and what your needs are.

Host: And you have a great team to do that, and this fills such an important need. Thank you, Lorrie, for all this helpful information on professional home health care with WakeMed Home Health, and all you do to provide your clients with the services that really matter.

Lorrie Maynard, RN: Yes, we love what we do and we love keeping patients safely in home and providing services that really can benefit them and make them live out their lives safely and healthy and happy.

Host: That was Lorrie Maynard, RN at WakeMed Home Health. To learn more, call 919-350-7990 or visit wakemed.org to learn more about WakeMed personal care services. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you.

I'm Amanda Wilde with WakeMed Voices, brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina.