Home Health Care

It started with a spot of blood on Rick Russell's left sock. He figured it was a sore and covered it with antibiotic and a bandage.

When it spread to the ball of his foot, he went to the doctor who wrapped it and gave him more medicine. But then days later more blood appeared on his right ankle. After a visit to the emergency room and a podiatrist, Rick was told that his feet had so much damage, caused by diabetes complications, that he needed home nursing care.

"I don't know if I was feeling like Superman, but I hadn't kept up on my insulin and medications," said Rick, a Navy veteran from the Vietnam War.

The thought of losing his feet changed all that. Luckily, Rick was already familiar with a home health care agency, LSI, where his wife Margo provides office support for the home health department.

In November, LSI nurses starting coming to the Russell home each day to treat the foot wounds and dress it. They also provided encouragement to Rick to stay on top of his insulin and pills.

"It's worked out really well," he said. "My blood sugar is under control. The doctors took photos when I first came in and more photos since then and they're quite pleased with the progress of the healing."

Part of that, Rick said, is his own adherence to taking his medicine. But the biggest factor has been the support of having in-home nursing care every single day.

"I've met every nurse you've got," he said with a laugh. He especially appreciated his case manager Kirk Finck, who Rick said set a high standard of care and monitored his progress even when other nurses had to fill in.

For Margo, those nurses are her coworkers and the experience of having them care for Rick in their home turned out better than she could have imagined.

"It made me appreciate our staff, especially when I got more of an understanding of what it's like to go into a home, traveling in terrible weather," she said. "Here we are on a weekend, sitting at home with the snow coming down, and there they were. No one was ever late. They were there every day. It was like the postal service."

Watching the nurses clean, dress and wrap Rick's feet gave Margo a chance to see her department in action.

"I now have a much better understanding of the type of professionalism we have in our company," she said. "They were very friendly, but always kept that professional edge and never overstepped a boundary. It's been a really comfortable feeling throughout."

Now on the mend, Rick is hoping that soon he will no longer be homebound. He and the family dog Indi, who Margo calls his "stress buster and companion," are looking forward to resuming their morning coffee chats with his mother's walking group.

"They come to her house and have coffee after their walk, sit around and solve the world's problems and talk about their day," he said. "It's one of the things I've missed, that exchange and intellect of adult conversation."

Thanks to the care of LSI staff, Rick can look forward to plenty of those conversations to come.

"I just want to say a big thank you for some outstanding care, the compassion shown and the quality of staff," Margo said. "The comfort they have given has encouraged him to watch his sugar levels and take care of himself. It's all helped with the healing process."