Charlene D. Bergstretter, Director of Planning and Program Development, at Lehigh Valley Home Health Services (Allentown, PA), indicates how telehospice allowed a patient who preferred to live at home, independently, and not have his adult children move in, could do so with the assistance of a HomMed telemonitoring system.

We have been utilizing the HomMed monitor in Hospice care delivery since the inception of our monitoring program, in 2002. The HomMed monitor is a store and forward system of monitoring. We have had 40 patients on Hospice utilize the monitor in that time. The diagnoses have been varied but mostly they are the cancer diagnoses and CHF. I think the utilization of the pulse oxymetry and the subjective questions have been the best tools to help identify comfort measures and alleviate anxiety for patients and caregivers.

We have had success with Hospice monitoring in a variety of ways. One way the monitor is successful is in the alleviation of anxiety for both patients and their caregivers. It provides for them a sense of autonomy with the care yet allows for reassurance that the agency is supporting and watching the patient's status. It also assists to alleviate the fears associated with the transition from Home Care to Hospice.

We have in addition demonstrated patient satisfaction and success in the ability to maintain Hospice patients' independence in their home for a longer period of time. Specifically, we had an example of a gentleman who had family who lived very close but he did not wish to have them residing in his living space. The monitor allowed him that independence of remaining home alone but having a consistent method of "checking in" with the agency.

Note: Until recently, a fairly rigid pre-condition of acceptance into hospice was the availability of a live-in caregiver. Telehospice allows more flexibility in living situations, according to patients' choice and needs, as this example indicates.