Unless you were around in the 1950's you probably don't know that it was common to see a man carrying a small black bag knock on a neighbor's door. Who would it have been? Today you might think, insurance salesman, Amway salesman or even political office seeker. Would it surprise you to know that it was the family doctor?



It may seem odd to us now, but in those days doctors commonly visited the homes of patients to give care. This practice seemed to go by the wayside as the baby boom swamped physicians with a wave of new patients.

This might be a pretty short story except for Family Home Care and Hospice (FHCH), a home health agency headquartered in Spokane, WA. FHCH currently serves home care patients in Eastern Washington State and in Northern Idaho. FHCH has now launched a new service providing primary care medical services in patient's homes. Known as "House Calls" the new service will offer patients a generous selection of medical services including routine check-ups, prescribing medications, monitoring medications, blood draws, and more. After the first visit and diagnosis, patients can continue with their House Calls provider or they may also do any follow-up with their normal physician.

FHCH providers are Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP) who have been specially trained and licensed to provide in-home medical services. The ARNP staff at FHC prefers to visit a patient in their home rather than in a clinic or hospital setting.

"We love this program because it allows us to spend more time with our patients," said Carol Charles, ARNP. "When we can get to know them more closely and see how they're living, we can many times recommend treatment options that will fit more closely with the patient's lifestyle. This is an advantage for the patient that isn't possible at a hospital or clinic."

The House Calls service is perfect for bed ridden or home-bound patients or patients who have difficulty getting to the doctor's office. However, the service is not restricted merely to the home-bound, but can be utilized by anyone in the community who would like primary care medical services to be performed in their home.

"Certainly the greatest need for the service is among the elderly," said Alicia Bowman Primary Care Coordinator for FHCH, "but the service is not restricted that group alone. We also see a goodly number of younger patients."

In many communities throughout the nation, services which will deliver primary medical care in the home are non-existent. Without a House Calls style service, many people in the community will postpone medical care until their condition deteriorates enough to require emergency treatment. Even under the best conditions, some bed ridden or immobile patients postpone their care long enough that their problems have become significantly more serious. Having a service like House Calls available in a community is critical to the health of these people.

While the demand for this service in the Spokane area is strong, the rapid growth of the elderly population in the US means that, services like Family Home Care's House Calls will likely be needed in many areas of the country.

"Home health agencies already have the expertise and systems to offer these services in their areas," explained Michael Nowling, FHCH President. "If enough home health agencies take on this service all across the country, it will represent a significant benefit to our elderly patients and will take some of the pressure off of our emergency rooms and staff."

Family Home Care and Hospice is the largest privately owned home health agency in the Inland Northwest and has been serving the Spokane area market for more than 40 years. They have recently been recognized by Medicare as one of the top 1% of all home health agencies in Washington State as well as one of the top 5% of home health agencies in the US.