Many home health agencies these days offer care and rehabilitation of all kinds, so if the time comes when you have to make use of such services, it may be difficult to decide on which one to choose. When making other tangible purchases, for example, you may be a person who prefers to eschew the larger "box" stores and peruse some smaller, neighborhood establishments that have been in the area for a while.
If that’s the case, Empathy Care, Inc. might be the perfect place to go if you are searching for home health care for yourself or a loved one.
Administrator Erica Healey agreed that many agencies offer similar services, but said that Empathy Care, Inc. "was established in 1992 as an independently owned and operated agency, so it’s not a big corporate chain. And the ownership has not changed over those years." The board of directors at Empathy Care, Inc. believes strongly that, "Any service business is only as good as the quality of those it employs to deliver its services." Healey emphasized, "At Empathy Care, Inc., we feel that we have the finest group of caregivers available and they are the reason for our success."Since it was founded, the agency has grown in its experience and expertise. The agency provides both short- and long-term assistance. Services include, but are not limited to, skilled nursing care, medication/nutrition supervision, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, along with home care services, such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation, and running errands. They also offer specialized services, such as lymphedema therapy, which helps to reduce the pain associated with swelling that can occur in an arm or leg.
One of the things Empathy Care, Inc. is most proud of is its low rehospitalization rates. "For the past six consecutive quarters, we’ve maintained a lower rehospitalization rate, compared with the national and state averages," Healey said. They manage that, she continued, by making a conscious effort in trying to keep people out of the hospital. "We provide good care and follow up, with doctors’ involvement and phone calls. We work cooperatively with local hospitals with some different procedures, and we’re tailoring them to the hospitals’ programs, such as a cardiac or pulmonary program. We’re working with the hospitals to keep those rates down."
Empathy Care, Inc. also has full-time, professional employees. As Healey explained, "We have a team of professionally skilled employees on staff. In addition to our nurses, we have a staff therapist managed by our Director of Rehab. A lot of companies will use subcontractors, which we seldom do because they don’t employ therapists and/or have them on staff."
And members of the Empathy Care, Inc. staff have been with the agency for a long time. Healey said that she has been on board for more than 10 years, and most of the others have been there longer than that. "We have a very low turnover rate." She explained in more detail, "The difference with Empathy Care is that we have employer/employee relationships. We’re not a nurse registry. There’s a difference between a home health agency and a nurse registry. Nurse registries use independent contractors (1099 employees) to provide service. Our employees are not; all of them are W2 employees."
Empathy Care, Inc. is licensed in both Broward and Palm Beach Counties, and has a pool of more than 100 caregivers. In addition to being Medicare certified, it offers private duty care, meaning hourly home health aides or live-ins, to assist with the activities of daily living. It also accepts most long-term care and private insurance.
The fact that the agency is independent means it is able to offer some features that the larger agencies cannot. "Yes, there is just one Empathy Care, Inc.," Healey said. "I do think that’s important." Those who receive their care are likely to agree.
