Angels Care Home Health
The Care You Need, At Home!
By Vicki Jo Walsh
Those of us in the Omaha and Council Bluffs areas are lucky to have angels in our midst, helping people maintain health and happiness while living at home. Where can you find them? At Angels Care Home Health. AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc., is the management company of Angels Care Home Health. The company was literally started by a husband and wife at their dining room table. They saw a need that was going unfilled—the need to help people recover safely at home after a period of hospitalization. The company’s motto is simple: “We serve patients.”
After a hospitalization, many people require skilled home care to remain at home. People who were previously able to care for themselves independently may need skilled care, therapies and education to remain in their homes while recovering from an illness, injury, or surgical procedure. The clinicians at Angels Care Home Health educate, provide therapy and direct care to their patients while navigating these transitions.
In 2010, Angels Care Home Health opened two local offices, one in Omaha and one in Council Bluffs. The Omaha office covers the Omaha area and 60 miles in each direction within the borders of Nebraska. Branch offices are located in Lincoln and Columbus. The Council Bluffs office serves the Iowa counties of Pottawattamie, Harrison, Mills, and Cass.
Nichole Ridder, administrator of the Omaha office, also oversees the business operations of the Lincoln and Columbus branches. Before working with Angels Care Home Health, Nichole was a discharge planner/social worker who spent her days assessing patients’ ongoing needs after a period of hospitalization. A thorough clinician assessment is the first step her nurses take as they provide care for each of their patients.
Jenny Hecker, BSN, RN, who manages the Council Bluffs office, was a hospital nurse before starting with Angels Care Home Health. She often saw patients return to the hospital because they had no help with aftercare at home. The intermittent care that Angels Care Home Health provides can make all the difference between recovery and relapse.
The initial patient assessment at Angels Care Home Health includes input from the patient’s caregivers, physicians or non-physician practitioner (NPP), and family, as well as from the patient. A comprehensive care plan is reviewed and approved by the patient’s physician or NPP. The RN case manager, as well as skilled nurses and therapists, are the physician or NPP’s eyes and ears in the patient’s home, addressing patient goals that are essential for care planning. The 60-day care plan is reviewed, as ongoing assessments often reveal the need for additional services.
Nichole and Jenny agree that most patients are anxious to go back home after short-term hospital treatment. In many cases, patients can return to the place they were living before hospitalization, whether that is a private home or an assisted or independent living facility. In many cases, patients need multidiscipline therapy, as well as skilled care. Angels Care Home Health continuously assesses every patient’s needs so they can remain safe in their home environments.
Angels Care Home Health provides many different services for their patients, including management of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, anxiety, depression, CHF, and COPD. They also provide therapy (physical, occupational or speech) as well as speciality programs such as Care Connections Pre-Palliative Care, Take a Breathe Respiratory Care, and Pain Management. They can assist those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 but do not require hospitalization. The approach for care depends on each patient’s needs and can include telehealth (audio/visual visits), home infection controls, and education on disease process, as well as direct skilled nursing.
Both Jenny and Nichole find their work with Angels Care Home Health deeply rewarding—it’s very satisfying to provide skilled intermittent care and keep a patient safe at home. Their success depends on establishing individualized care plans with realistic goals. Patient Harold Blakeman started services with Angels Care Home Health after his kidney disease required him to have nephrostomy tubes. “My nurse, Amanda, taught me how to take care of the nephrostomy tubes instead of having to go to the hospital whenever they gave me trouble,” he says. “Without learning about everything I needed to do, it would have been difficult for me to stay at home. Thanks to what Amanda taught me, I can now take care of myself.”
If you or a loved one needs help handling a chronic illness, healing after an injury or surgery, or relearning life skills that were lost during a stroke, Angels Care Home Health can provide the skilled services in your home and help you stay there safely. To learn more, please visit angelscarehealth.com or call your local office: Nichole in Omaha at 402-934-4752 or Jenny in Council Bluffs at 712-352-3640. You can also find them on Facebook by searching for “Angels Care Home Health.”
l-r: Jenny Hecker BSN, RN, Council Bluffs Branch Manager, and Nichole Ridder, Omaha, Lincoln, & Columbus Administrator