Tag Archive for: Home health

Positive Change is Happening!

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2019 Advocacy Accomplishments We Can All be Proud of

By UOAA Advocacy Manager Jeanine Gleba

I pride myself on being an “action person” and nothing gives me greater satisfaction than checking those boxes and crossing off items on my lists to-do (daily, short-term, long-term etc) both in my personal life and professionally. So I get super excited at year-end when I can reflect and look back at all that UOAA has accomplished in our advocacy efforts!  I’m happy to report 2019 was not an exception. Although many priorities are ongoing and I can’t actually cross them off my list, I remind myself that Rome was not built in a day and realize to make a major impact in the health care world it could take many years. The important thing for all of us to remember is that we are making progress and positive change is happening.

UOAA Ostomy Advocates at the DDNC

Ostomy advocates at the DDNC Public Policy Forum in March.

Each year UOAA’s Advocacy Committee establishes annual goals based on the strategies outlined in UOAA’s Advocacy Agenda. We have learned that the needs of the ostomy community are fluid and more often than not, I find each year that new priorities must get added to the list. These goals and priorities keep us organized and ensure we stay focused on where we can have the most effect given our organization’s limited resources.

In no particular order and not an all-inclusive list below will give you an idea of what we worked on and accomplished in 2019. This does not include Ostomy Awareness Day efforts as they were previously shared: 

Completed the “Expect More: Take Control of Your Healthcare” self-advocacy toolkit with checklists – All of the parts and resources are online here. In 2019 there were 579 downloads of the resources and the ostomy supply checklist had the most downloads at 247.

Best in Practice Research Project Launched – The purpose of this research project is to examine components of UOAA’s Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights (PBOR) and demonstrate best in practice standard guidelines for ostomy care. In 2019 we collected the data, in 2020 we will conduct the data analysis phase, publish results and ideally find ways to use the results to improve patient outcomes.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Ostomy Supply Policy 

  • Conducted an online survey earlier and analyzed results to better understand the issue of obtaining greater than allowable quantities for those that have a medical necessity such as a high output stoma
  • Submitted comments and recommendations from UOAA to CMS for the Simplifying Documentation Initiative (SDI) and the Patients Over Paperwork Initiative to reduce burden as it relates to the ostomy supply process. 
  • We have a subcommittee comprised of medical professionals, manufacturer representatives, and patient advocates who will continue this effort in 2020.

Legislative Priorities 

  • Advocated on the Disability Integration Act (DIA), Removing Colorectal Screening Barriers, Ostomy Awareness Day, Step Therapy, and Competitive Bidding Program
  • Released two new position statements for DIA and Opioids
  • Supported the DDNC Step Therapy National Day of Advocacy

Additional Efforts to Expand Patient Bill of Rights

  • Safe n Simple is now including the PBOR Wallet Card in new ostomy patient starter kits and Byram Healthcare now includes it in their ostomy educational booklet

Further Advocacy Outreach and Collaborations 

  • Upfront with Ostomies Column: As a result of contacting the editor of the Wound Management Prevention journal UOAA now has its own column in this clinician journal.  5 articles were published in 2019
  • UOAA was invited by the CMS Quality organization to submit a new idea for the 2021 Improvement Activities used in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System. Ex-committee Member Barbara Dale and I submitted for consideration two modifications to existing improvement activities that focuses on re-evaluation of ostomy care and supplies
  • Access and Care Coalition: Successfully continued to ensure Congress refrains from expanding the Medicare Competitive Bidding program to include ostomy and urological supplies 
  • 3172 people downloaded the TSA Travel Communication Card
  • Started efforts with OEM of LAX airport in CA to make restroom improvements for ostomy accessibility; created UOAA guidelines for United States ostomy restroom accommodations 
  • Between myself and members of the Advocacy Committee we authored or contributed to 18 magazine and UOAA e-newsletter articles on advocacy-related topics

Looking forward to greater achievements in 2020!

Achieve Quality Ostomy Care While in Your Home

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Barbara Dale, RN, CWOCN, CHHN, COS-C
Director of WOC Services at Quality Home Health
Jeanine Gleba UOAA Advocacy Manager

I am a Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) nurse in a rural home health agency. I have worked in the home health field since 2001. Many times when I visit patients in their homes, they complain about the lack of knowledgeable ostomy nurses in the facility (e.g., hospital) they came from or even from my own agency.  I try to explain to them that ostomy care is specialized and in general nurses don’t get much (if any) training in nursing school for this type of medical condition. I compare this with my own lack of IV education and skills since I rarely do labs or port flushes and have lost many of my previous skills. We can’t all know everything about all aspects of medical care and not every agency has access to an ostomy trained or ostomy certified medical provider. Nonetheless, it is the home health agency’s responsibility when they accept you as a patient to provide you the care you need and deserve. You have a right to quality care.

Are you aware of the patient bill of rights (PBOR) for persons with an ostomy or continent diversion? United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) developed the PBOR in 1977 and revised it in 2017. The PBOR is designed so that you can know what to expect and what is reasonable for you to ask for when you receive care. If you haven’t already looked over the PBOR, please take time to familiarize yourself. In addition, if you use ostomy or urological supplies, here is what you should understand and expect when receiving medical care in your home.

Be Prepared

Be prepared in advance to take appropriate steps to ensure you receive quality ostomy care.  As you prepare for discharge to home after your ostomy surgery, ask your case manager to make sure your home health agency has a certified ostomy nurse. This will also be important if you are a person already living with an ostomy with a new medical condition (such as hip surgery or a stroke).  Your home health nurse should re-evaluate your ostomy care. For example, someone with arthritis may have lost dexterity and now needs to switch to a different type of pouching application system or you may have gained or lost some weight over the hospitalization (which can change your abdominal contours and your stoma) and now your current system doesn’t give you 2-5 days wear time anymore.

Change Agencies if Needed

If you are already home and your home health agency does not have a certified ostomy nurse, then request that they consult with one to ensure that you receive the proper optimal care. I often get phone calls or emails from colleagues who work for other agencies asking me ostomy questions or asking if I can come to see their patient. We are all in this together and we all want what is best for the patient, which is YOU! Don’t be afraid to ask for an ostomy nurse!

You may even have to change agencies. It isn’t difficult even though your current agency will likely not want you to change.  You have a right to explain that you must receive your care from a certified ostomy nurse and your current agency, unfortunately, does not provide this type of care. All you have to do is call the agency YOU choose and tell them you want to transfer your care to their agency. Typically the new agency will contact your doctor or ask you to let your doctor know you want to change agencies. The new agency will then inform your current home health agency that they are taking over your care.  

What to do if an Ostomy Nurse is Still Not Available?

If all else fails and for whatever reason you have a home health agency without access to a certified ostomy nurse, you still have resources.  You can:

  • Go to www.wocn.org and look up a patient referral for an ostomy nurse in your area. This content also usually includes contact information for the WOC Nurse in your area.
  • Visit www.ostomy.org for educational resources such as the New Ostomy Patient Guide and UOAA has a dedicated webpage specifically for Ostomy Health Care Resources.
  • Use social media to find others that may be in the same situation as you. There are a multitude of Facebook pages/groups for ostomates with WOC nurses who follow these groups and offer comments or suggestions when specifically asked.

In Conclusion

We cannot say this enough: YOU have a right to quality care and deserve quality care. Know your rights. You deserve to be able to live your life to the fullest with your new or established ostomy.

Patients and medical professionals can work together to improve patient outcomes. If you want to help UOAA drive change and achieve ostomy quality of care improvements for patients while under home care, please print and share these resources with your home health agency: Achieve 5 Star Ostomy Home Health Care and Important Reminders for Home Health Providers Treating People with an Ostomy.