February 04, 2014

What happens when inclement weather keeps home health care professionals from reaching clients' homes?

Shaun Mullen became worried when the home health care professional serving his elderly neighbor wasn't able to get to the Stroud Township house Monday because the road was unplowed.

"As of 2 p.m., we still hadn't seen any trucks come by to plow or treat our road," Mullen said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has 36 trucks plowing and treating 520 miles of state-owned roads in Monroe County, including Poplar Valley Road West, said Bob Mudrick, PennDOT's Monroe County maintenance manager.

"We started on the roads between 2 and 3 a.m. (Monday) and are working in 12-hour shifts until all roads are clear," said Mudrick. "Our primary concern in that area is keeping those two major roads clear so that people can get to Interstate 80. The secondary roads are just that secondary. We get to them when we can, which usually is after the snow stops and we no longer have to worry about keeping the primary roads clear."

Meanwhile, what about residents, like Mullen's elderly neighbor, who rely on home health care professionals to visit?

"Monroe County has a certain percentage of residents who require a higher level of home health care," said Patty Fretz, director of the Monroe County Area Agency on Aging. "They absolutely must have a professional visit them every day, as opposed to other residents who require less care and can go a day or more without a visit."

The Agency on Aging has a medical assistance waiver program for higher-care dependent residents who qualify to live in but cannot afford nursing homes or choose to stay in their own homes, said Fretz.

The program requires these residents to have backup plans in place on days when home health care professionals cannot visit due to inclement weather or other reasons. A backup plan involves having a family member, neighbor or friend provide care for that day.

Read more here:

The homebound and the snowbound: Health care workers call on contingency plans