Patient-centered Approach, Real-time Technology Key to Harmony Home Healthcare’s Success

Patient-centered Approach, Real-time Technology Key to Harmony Home Healthcare's Success
By Vanessa Orr

For many families, finding the right home care company can be a challenge; after all, you're letting a stranger into your home to care for your loved one when you're away. But Harmony Home Healthcare makes it easier for families to have peace of mind—not only because they hire caring, experienced professionals, but because they use modern technology to ensure quality care.

"We're looking to bring harmony into clients' homes," said Jamie Bayer, director of community development for Harmony Home Healthcare. "We understand the trust that it requires to let someone you don't know into your home, and we take that concern seriously. Our team is committed to our core value, 'Integrity Trumps All.' We live by that and it is not a responsibility we take lightly."

Harmony provides a range of services for clients in three different areas: Harmony Home Care, Harmony Home Healthcare and Harmony Pediatrics.

Harmony Home Care provides personal care services such as bathing, toileting, light duty housework, companionship, grocery shopping, meal preparation and more. Harmony Home Healthcare offers skilled nursing services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. "This is especially useful when someone has heart surgery, for example, and they want a nurse to stay with them in the evenings after they've returned home," explained Bayer.
Harmony's Pediatric Division provides private duty nursing for children suffering from long-term illnesses. "We work with children who are on ventilators, have tracheotomies or who are totally bed bound," said Bayer. "We also work with special needs kids with intellectual or physical disabilities. A staff member will go from class to class with students, or meet the school bus and stay with a child until their parents come home. We're one of the few companies in western Pennsylvania that cares for pediatric patients."

All of Harmony's medical staff are certified and licensed, and LPNs and aides work under registered nurse supervisors. They must pass a rigorous orientation that includes showing mastery of medical equipment including hospital beds and Hoyer lifts, and must pass an FBI background check, drug screen and TB test.

"We make a point to hire caring, empathetic staff with exceptional backgrounds; we make sure that the right type of people come to your home," said Bayer, adding that referrals from satisfied clients are the backbone of Harmony's business.

Harmony also uses technology to make sure that clients' needs are being met. "Using our Family Room services, families of our clients can go online and see what's happening in the home in real time," said Bayer. "For example, with a client's permission, his family in Ohio can log in and see how he is being cared for in Greensburg.

"We also have a GPS system that documents if the caregivers show up on time, and if they are where they are supposed to be," he continued. "Our employees clock in by phone, and if they forget to do that, we call and check on the client right away to see if the caregiver is there.

"While our use of technology is second to none, our patient-centered approach makes all of the difference," he added.