Witham Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice

Witham Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice is the preferred provider of Witham Health Services.

Traditional Home Care Services Include:

• Skilled Nursing
• Psychiatric Nursing
• Home Health Aides
• Medical Social Workers
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
• Infusion Therapy

Special Home Care Services Include:

• HealthWatch
  HealthWatch is a personal response system that provides a vital safety net that many people need to continue living at home in familiar and comforting surroundings. This system is the only one that automatically self-tests all system components every day, and automatically monitors the Personal Transmitter Pendant for functionality and battery status. Our system has “Enhanced Sensitivity” sound mode that greatly increases our ability to help you quickly in emergency situations and an optional Fall Detector that automatically senses if you’ve had a serious fall and signals the Response Center to send emergency assistance.  In additional, Health Watch systems provide Wellness Check-In, Daily Activity Reporting, and convenience calling that lets you answer phone calls using your personal Transmitter Pendant.  The best part is Health Watch systems puts you in touch instantly with caring people—specially trained to respond and assist you whenever help is needed.

• Mommy/Baby Visits
  The Mother/Baby Program is committed to providing wellness, postpartum assurance to the mother, and the prevention of illness for both mother and baby.  This program provides a nurse visit to mothers and their newborn babies typically within 48-hours after discharge from the hospital. The Mother/Baby Program is designed to help support mothers and babies and further fulfill the mission of VNS for the provision of community wellness programs.

Visits to Mother and Child may include:

• Routine Assessment of the mother
• Provide post-partum instructions
• Head-to-to assessment of the infant
• Infant blood work if ordered
• Provide newborn care instruction
• Monitor phototherapy progress

Hospice Services

Hospice is a special kind of care designed to provide compassionate services for those personas with a terminal illness.  It recognizes that dying is a natural part of life, and does nothing to either hasten death or to sustain life.  Hospice can be provided in a variety of settings, including the patient’s home, hospital, and skilled nursing facility or in assisted living.

VNS is a certified Medicare and Medicaid hospice provider.  For those beneficiaries, the hospice benefit covers expenses related to the terminal illness.  Many insurance plans cover hospice services.

VNS Hospice Services Include:

• Total coordination of care through the patient’s primary physician and/or hospice medical director
• Symptom management and pain control
• Skilled nursing available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Home care aides
• Medical social services and counseling
• Spiritual counseling
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Pharmacy specializing in hospice care
• Volunteer support
• Ongoing educational and bereavement support for loved ones

Special Hospice Services

• Hospice Volunteer Opportunities
  VNS has an immediate need for Hospice volunteers in the Boone County area.  Training is available for this challenging yet rewarding opportunity.  Anything you enjoy doing can be utilized to support others on their end-of-life journey.  For more information (insert hyperlink to go to our Volunteer page)