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VI. Utilization of Health Services
A. Home Health Agencies
Home health care services are rapidly growing nationwide in response to the increasing
size of the elderly population, declining family support, new technology and treatment
procedures in medicine, and changing consumer expectations. Ideally, home health care is
designed to allow the patient the maximum amount of independence while staying at home.
Table 6.1: Home Health Agency Utilization
| Humboldt/Del Norte Counties |
1994 |
1995 |
| Patients |
Visits |
Patients |
Visits |
| Sutter Coast H.C. |
477 |
30,379 |
727 |
25,247 |
| Humboldt HHS-Eureka |
1,255 |
51,946 |
1,432 |
53,848 |
| Humboldt HHS-Fortuna |
795 |
25,359 |
686 |
23,501 |
| Mad River Com Hospital HHS |
517 |
23,723 |
545 |
12,913 |
| General Hospital HHA |
425 |
9,359 |
945 |
31,509 |
| Total |
3,469 |
140,766 |
4,335 |
147,018 |
|
| Source: OSHPD Home Health Care Utilization Report, 1994, 1995. |
There are four licensed Home Health Agencies located in Humboldt County and one Home
Health Agency located in Del Norte County. In 1995, they together saw 3,469 patients for a
total of 140,766 visits, as shown in Table 6.1. Of this amount, 50.3% of the visits
were made by a Registered Nurse, 32.4% by a Home Health Aide, 9.6% by a Physical
Therapist, and the remaining 7.7% by a variety of other health care personnel. The average
number of visits per patients was 33.9 in 1995. Although the Home Health Agencies are
located in the larger communities in the region, services are available to patients living
throughout the counties. The payer mix for visits, reported in Table 6.2, shows
that, by far, the majority of visits were to Medicare patients.
Table 6.2: 1995 Home Health Agency Payer Mix
| |
Del Norte County |
North Humboldt |
California |
| Medicare |
89.6% |
84.2% |
81.5% |
| Medi-Cal |
5.4% |
5.4% |
3.8% |
| Commercial/Private Pay/Other |
4.9% |
10.4% |
14.7% |
|
| Source: OSHPD Home Health Agencies Financial Report, 1995 |
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