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Best Visiting Nurse Services

AccentCare is the best visiting nurse service, with performance ratings above industry standards

One day you or a loved one might need a visiting nurse for medical care in your home. In the United States, it’s a relatively common experience. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 4.5 million Americans are treated in their homes every year by more than 12,000 home healthcare agencies. Many people prefer the ease of having medical care in their own home, rather than having to travel to a hospital or doctor's office.

When the time comes, you’ll need to do some research to find a visiting nurse service that fits your personal needs. With that in mind, we reviewed over 40 home healthcare companies to find the best visiting nurse services available.

Best Visiting Nurse Services of 2024

• Best Overall: AccentCare
• Best for Post-Operative Assistance: Elara Caring
• Best Technology: Enhabit Home Health & Hospice
• Best for Specialized Care: Interim HealthCare
• Best for Hospice (End-of-Life Care): ProMedica Hospice
• Our Top Picks

Elara Caring

• Enhabit Home Health & Hospice
• Interim HealthCare
• ProMedica Hospice
• See More (2)

Final Verdict

• How to Choose

Methodology

Best overall : accentcare.

• Services offered : Personal care, behavioral health, rehabilitation, medical assistance, hospice and palliative care, care management, health alert systems
• Number of locations : 260 locations across 31 states

We selected AccentCare as the best overall provider of skilled home health care based on its accessibility (there are over 260 locations) and performance ratings that are above industry standards.

Programs for chronic conditions

Specialized programs, including behavioral health and stroke

Tele-monitoring program for early intervention

Some locations have different names, which can be confusing

Website’s location search page is hard to find

All of AccentCare's agencies are accredited by Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP) and have earned an overall 4.6-star quality rating and recognition from the We Honor Veterans program. AccentCare treats over 140,000 patients a year. Along with skilled home health care and private duty nursing, it offers hospice care, personal care services, and care management.

AccentCare also uses technology to supplement visiting nurse home care visits with tele-monitoring that can deliver biometric data (blood pressure, pulse, blood glucose, etc.) in close to real-time to keep the medical support team informed and ready to take action if necessary. AccentCare is the fifth largest provider of skilled home health in the U.S.

Best for Post-Operative Assistance : Elara Caring

• Services offered : Home health care, hospice care, rehabilitation, recovery care, personal care, behavioral care
• Number of locations : 200+ locations across 16 states

Elara Caring focuses on recovery and rehabilitation, excelling in nursing, physical therapy (PT) , occupational therapy (OT), and speech therapy . 

Also offers hospice care and behavioral health services

Delivers proactive customized care (CAREtinuum)

Only available in 16 states

Elara Caring's CAREtinuum program, a system that uses predictive analytics to identify patients at risk, sets it apart from other companies for post-operative assistance. For example, Elara’s CAREtinuum Fall Risk Program patients are 72% less likely to return to the hospital due to falling.

Elara Caring offers a wide range of in-home clinical services, treating more than 65,000 patients a day. Along with skilled home health, Elara Caring offers hospice care, personal care, and behavioral care. Its behavioral care supports a wide range of conditions, including depressive/anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar, and other disorders.

Even though Elara only has locations in about one-third of the states in the U.S., it is the ninth largest provider of skilled home health in the country.

Best Technology : Enhabit Home Health & Hospice

• Services offered : Home health care, hospice care, post-operative care, transition program from hospital to home, long-term care
• Number of locations : 355 locations across 34 states

We chose Enhabit Home Health & Hospice for its easy-to-use technology that makes a customer’s online experience simple, with comprehensive information quickly available.

Locations in 34 states

Variety of programs to enhance skilled nursing, including skilled therapy, balance and fall prevention, and orthopedics

Not all locations offer hospice

Website offers Spanish translation, but only portions of the site are available in Spanish

The online software at Enhabit streamlines each step, from referral processing to scheduling to management of physician orders, in order to optimize patient care and attention. This connection between patients, doctors, and in-home care providers makes processes easier and more transparent.

In addition, Enhabit’s web portal provides one-stop access to manage diagnoses, patient history, medications, and plan of care. Enhabit is also able to deliver better care for patients through predictive analysis, to identify potential risks.

Best for Specialized Care : Interim HealthCare

Interim Healthcare

• Services offered : Home health care, senior care, in-home nursing services, respite care, transitional care; at-home physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
• Number of locations : 300+ locations across 41 states

We chose Interim HealthCare for its focus on home care for adults or children with special needs due to an injury or illness.

Promotes a more engaged existence at home for patients and their families

Offers caregivers more than 300 continuing education units

Available in nearly 50 states

Independently owned franchises mean inconsistencies in customer satisfaction

Interim HealthCare's services include care for adults and children who are developmentally delayed or need to use a feeding tube. Specialized offerings include home care for arthritis, multiple sclerosis , joint replacement, hypertension , paraplegia and quadriplegia, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Interim also offers many specialized interactive online training courses and live webinars for specific needs, such as dementia care. Interim HealthCare University provides extensive training resources available for free to employees, including over 300 lessons for both clinical and non-clinical staff and management in areas such as fall prevention, home care technology, and transitioning from a facility.

Interim’s HomeLife Enrichment program looks beyond basic needs to address the mind, spirit, and family as well as the body. The focus is to add purpose, dignity, and self-worth to basic safety and independence.

Interim HealthCare has a network of more than 300 independently owned franchises (employing nurses, aides, therapists, and other healthcare personnel) serving about 173,000 people every year.

Best for Hospice (End-of-Life Care) : ProMedica Hospice

• Services offered : Home hospice care, pain management, spiritual support, comforting treatments, bereavement services
• Number of locations : In 26 states

ProMedica Hospice provides the comfort and quality of life that hospice is known for, with fast and effective responses to patient discomforts such as pain, shortness of breath, and anxiety.

Advance directive not required for hospice care

Fully accredited

Provides employees with training, continuing education, and tuition assistance

Only available in 26 states across the U.S.

ProMedica Hospice has locations in 26 states, offering services such as pain and symptom management therapies. Heartland can provide hospice care in any “home”—including a private home, an assisted living facility, or a skilled nursing center.

While some hospices require a do not resuscitate (DNR) order before providing care, ProMedica (formerly Heartland Hospice Care) doesn’t. In situations where Medicare will be paying for the care, a DNR is not required because the care is considered palliative (providing comfort, instead of a cure or treatment).

ProMedica Hospice develops talent by offering its employees training and education opportunities at many of its locations. For example, its nursing assistant training programs include assistance with the cost of taking a state certification exam.

ProMedica Hospice also offers bereavement services, advanced planning services, and the possibility to grant funds to help offset financial burdens created by terminal illness.

While each visiting nurse service on this list has its strengths, AccentCare is our top pick due to its wide variety of specialized programs and high quality rating. The caretakers at AccentCare are skilled and experienced. Plus, home care visits are supplemented with an advanced tele-monitoring system.

Guide to Choosing a Visiting Nurse Service

When it comes to selecting the best visiting nurse services for you or a loved one, there are several factors you should look for to help inform your decision.

• Accreditation : Home healthcare agencies and companies must be licensed in order to operate in a state. As you research the best visiting nurse services, ensure that the agency you select is licensed in the state you live. Consult with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or the Joint Commission, which offers accreditation to home health providers.
• Insurance : Check your available coverage and what potential out-of-pocket costs may be by asking any potential visiting nurse service if it accepts your insurance. Often, services take Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or Veterans Administration benefits.
• Services needed : Depending on your needs, you may require more specialized nursing care. For example, visiting nurse services can be tailored to the patient if they need after-surgery care, rehabilitation therapy, medication administration, or personal care and companionship.
• Visiting hours : Many visiting home nurses operate between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. However, depending on the needs of the patient, in-home hours can often be adjusted. Ask a home healthcare provider if they also arrange for evening or overnight visits, should you need them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the duties of a visiting nurse.

A visiting nurse is a skilled medical professional, usually a registered nurse, who oversees all aspects of the medical care you receive at home, as ordered by a physician. This might include evaluating your medical condition and health needs, monitoring your vital signs and assessing risk factors, and administering medication. A visiting nurse is also trained to care for specific conditions such as COPD, diabetes, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. They can change dressings for surgical incisions or wounds and provide hospice care .

When your visiting nurse leaves, they make sure that you and your caregivers have the necessary information and supplies to support the plan of care.

Is a Visiting Nurse the Same as a Home Health Aide?

A visiting nurse is a skilled medical professional, while a home aide typically has limited formal medical training and provides services such as help with personal hygiene, meals, and transportation. A home health aide may stay in your home for several hours providing care, while a visiting nurse will stay for a shorter time to perform specific tasks.

Does Medicare Cover Visiting Nurse Services?

If you have Medicare, home health care, such as that provided by a visiting nurse, is covered 100% by Medicare when your doctor certifies that you meet the required guidelines. If you do not have Medicare, consult with your healthcare insurance to determine your policy parameters for coverage, including necessary copayments, if any.

Hospice (including a visiting nurse, if one is on your team) is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, the Veteran’s Health Administration, and private insurance. Although most hospice care is provided at home, it is also available at hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and dedicated hospice facilities.

Always double-check coverage with your insurance provider and ask the visiting nurse service if it accepts your insurance plan.

For this ranking, we looked at more than 40 home health providers. The primary criteria were the number of locations and national footprint, so the ranking would be useful to a large number of people. In addition to reviewing companies' areas of expertise, we also looked at their website interface, navigation, and usability and how they are ranked in areas such as quality care and patient satisfaction by services such as the U.S. government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Home Health Star and Home Health Compare .

AE Pictures / Getty Images

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Home health care .

LexisNexis Risk Solutions. LexisNexis Risk Solutions ranks top home health and hospice providers .

Visiting Nurses

Nursing, Behavioral Health, Home Support, Palliative Care, and Therapy

Continuing the tradition of your visiting nurse.

When a VNA nurse, social worker, therapist, or caregiver arrives at your door, you can expect expert compassionate care. We believe everyone, no matter their station, deserves to live their life at their optimal level of health, well-being, and independence, according to their personal beliefs and choices. People turn to the VNA during times of illness or injury so you can remain where you most want to be — at home.

Whether it takes a few days or a number of weeks, your home care team will be there to provide caring support and assistance. Our staff strives to help you recover comfortably and safely at home, as well as help your caregivers manage your care.

Highly Skilled Care from the Comfort of Home

The kind of care you receive at home is crucial to recovery. Through a combination of evidence-based best practices, a patient-centered team approach, and education for your caregivers, our home health staff members are committed to providing highly skilled care right in your home.

The VNA leverages over 100 years of expert care to offer a wide variety of services to meet the needs of our community.

Signs that might indicate a need for home health care:

• Change in ability to complete daily living activities
• Change in appetite, weight loss or difficulty in swallowing
• Recent hospitalization or surgery
• Dependence on a caregiver
• Difficulty managing medications

New medical diagnosis and a need for teaching

Falls or increasing risk of falls

Wound care needs

Difficulty with pain

Difficulty in breath

Specific care offered by our skilled nurses and expert caregivers includes:

Skilled Nursing (assessments, teaching, intervention, etc.)

Physical Therapy

Occupational Therapy

• Medical Social Work

Home Health Aides

Home Support Providers

Speech Therapy

Palliative Care 

Behavioral Health Care

Fall Prevention

Ostomy Care

Medication Management

Telehealth Visits

Physician-ordered mother and child visits

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hcs service area.

Some or all of HCS programs are offered in 52 towns in southwestern New Hampshire. Visit our Service Area page for more information.

What is Home Health Care?

Home Health Care encompasses a wide range of health care services provided in the patient’s home with the purpose of maintaining a patient’s optimal level of health, well-being, and independence, according to their personal beliefs and choices. Home care is a collaborative effort involving caregivers, physicians, and an interdisciplinary home care team. It is a cost-effective alternative to extended hospitalization, rehabilitation, or a nursing home stay. Patients are usually more comfortable in their own home and studies have shown patients recover quicker at home.

What are the Medicare criteria for Home Healthcare?

In order to receive home health care services under Medicare, the patient must require:

• Skilled, intermittent nursing care, physical therapy, or speech therapy
• Have a physician’s order for home health care
• AND be homebound. Medicare considers a person to be homebound if leaving the home would require a considerable effort and if they have a condition due to an illness or injury which restricts the ability to leave home except with the aid of devices or assistance of another person. Homebound patients may leave their home if absences from the home are infrequent or for periods of relatively short duration.

What can I expect at an admission visit?

During your first visit, the nurse or therapist will share a lot of information with you. They will also make sure the information we have about you is correct. The first visit may take up to two hours. The nurse or therapist will talk about:

• Your discharge paperwork and/or doctor’s orders
• Your role as a patient/caregiver, including payment responsibilities
• Your “Plan of Care,” including the services you will receive and how often team members will visit
• Your goals for home care
• Your medicines, including side effects and how and when to take them
• Your risk for falling
• How to contact the office with question or concerns

What is a typical visit like?

Because everyone’s situation is different, there is no typical visit. We work with you and your doctor to design a treatment plan based on your specific situation. The VNA team members spend as much time as they need with every patient to make sure they are getting the care needed to get healthy again.

How often will a clinician visit me?

Your specific needs and your insurance coverage will help to determine how often VNA team members visit you. The total number of visits scheduled depends on your specific needs. VNA team members visit patients an average of two to three times a week. Visits will happen less often as you improve.

How are visits scheduled?

A VNA team member will try to call you on the evening before to schedule a visit for the next day. However, sometimes they may not be able to call until the morning of the visit. We are sorry when we cannot offer more notice. We get new patients added to the schedule every day. Sometimes, they are very sick and require urgent visits. This causes our homecare team members’ schedules to change. They will always try to give you an estimated time when they will arrive. Please answer your phone or return our calls promptly.

Will I have the same nurse and/or therapist all the time?

We understand the importance of building trust with your caregiving team. That is why we try our best to schedule the same team of clinicians to visit your home every time. Changes in time of day, day of week, and after-hours may impact our ability to schedule the same nurse or therapist, so we cannot guarantee the same provider every time.

How can I pay for this?

Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurances. Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services does not deny anyone the care necessary for their health and safety solely on the basis of ability to pay. If you do not have insurance coverage, you may be eligible for service at a reduced fee or free care.

How do I make a referral?

If you or someone you know could use the expert skilled care provided by the VNA, please contact us by calling 603-352-2253  or 800-541-4145 or by emailing us at  [email protected] . Please do not email protected health information. You can also view our “ Make a Referral ” page to learn exactly what is needed for a complete referral to any of our programs.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

For details about specific programs that HCS can offer, give us a call at 603-352-2253 or join us for Walk-in Wednesdays !

Our VNA Services

Our Visiting Nurses program leverages over 100 years of expert care to offer a wide variety of home health care services to meet the needs of our community.

Home Support

Home Support Providers deliver light housekeeping services as established on an individualized plan of care so individuals can remain independent.

Palliative Care

The Palliative Care Conversation brings compassionate listening, support and clarification of needs and wishes, right in the comfort of your home.

The Rehabilitation Team at HCS works with your physician and orthopedic specialist to help you recover, improve, and maintain your safety and independence!

ABOUT HCS SERVICES

Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services offers comprehensive services to the residents of southwestern New Hampshire. Services include:

Hospice at HCS

Palliative Care Support

Rehabilitation Therapies

Healthy Starts Program

Nutrition for Seniors

Transportation

Castle Center Life Enrichment Day Program

Medical Social Work/Outreach

Wellness Programs

Financial Information

Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services accepts Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurances. Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services does not deny anyone the care necessary for their health and safety solely on the basis of ability to pay. If you do not have insurance coverage, you may be eligible for service at a reduced fee or free care.

For information or to make an appointment, please call 603-352-2253 .

Delivering Compassionate Care

VNA delivers expert, compassionate care to under-resourced individuals and families in our community.

Call our Omaha or Council Bluffs office at (402) 930-4000 .

As healthcare evolves, VNA advances.

After more than a century, VNA continues to provide expert, compassionate services to under-resourced individuals and families. Our team of healthcare professionals is dedicated to going where others won’t and serving who others don’t — no matter someone’s age, income, or ability. Together with our partners, we deliver compassionate care wherever clients call home.

We are here to serve you and our community

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We go where others won’t and serve who others don’t.

VNA is committed to delivering life-changing care when, where, and how our community needs it. In 2023, VNA served 40,701 clients. Read our stories of impact below.

October 10, 2022

Forging a trusting relationship with VNA’s Parenting Support services

VNA’s Parenting Support services helped Belle learn how to best care for her child, and set her on a path for success.

July 6, 2022

Helping a student thrive with VNA’s School Health services

VNA’s School Health services helped one student and his family establish a plan of care to ensure his diabetes is managed consistently.

October 7, 2020

Supporting Patients Wherever They Call Home

VNA shelter nurse Ann Hatting first met Mark, Roger and Jeff when they were homeless shelter clients at Siena Francis House. All three struggled with a combination of physical and […]

It’s been great having Lesa as my VNA nurse all these years. She is there if I have any questions or need help with anything. She’s like family.”

Shelter Nursing Client

The program gave me some tools and advice to be a better mom and to be more confident and more secure with my baby.”

Parenting Support Client

She knows me like a book … I can always depend on her.”

Home Health Aide Client

Our Services

VNA offers a wide range of community-based services to individuals of all ages and stages of life who lack resources across the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area. Our Community Care services include Parenting Support, Flu and Immunization, Shelter Nursing, and School Health. Our Home Health Aide services help individuals stay healthy and independent at home.

When you support VNA, you’re helping our community thrive.

As you cheer for us, donate to us, and collaborate with us, we ensure those who depend on us for care can access it.

$3.65 million

provided in community care services in 2023

clients served in 2023

Make the Most of a Nursing Home Visit During the Pandemic

Keep these tips in mind to bring cheer to your loved one.

This article is based on reporting that features expert sources.

The Visitors' Guide to Nursing Homes

Nursing home visits are challenging at any time, and even more so during the pandemic. Most nursing homes now have strict visiting rules in place to protect residents from exposure to COVID-19, such virtual, window or drive-up visits (with visitors staying in their cars). Some nursing homes allow for socially distanced outdoor or indoor visits (although indoor visits are limited to isolated areas designated for family, not visits in the resident's room).

Getty Images

No matter what form the visit takes, you’ll want to make the most of the time with your loved one. "It is very lonely for seniors in nursing homes today and they crave validation, fond memories of family events and affirmation of their value and dignity," says Teri Dreher, a board-certified patient advocate and owner of a patient advocate company in Chicago.

Prepare for a Good Nursing Home Visit

Do your homework before the visit. To prepare, you can:

• Find out about the rules and restrictions. Ask what kind of visit is permitted and how much time you're allowed.
• Consider the time of day. Does your loved one need to stick to a schedule of meals or naps that can’t be interrupted? Does the visit need to be coordinated with the weather?
• Ask if you can bring along a friend or a family member, such as your spouse, sibling or child. Visits are a great time for older adults to see their grandchildren , even if it's just through a window.
• Make arrangements for potential challenges. These may include a loved one’s soft voice that you may not hear from 6 feet away in a socially distanced visit or poor hearing that may keep your loved one from understanding you. Nonprescription assistive hearing devices or face masks with a clear “window” (if your loved needs to read lips) can foster better communication.
• Think about questions you'd like to ask staff during the visit. “Make certain all of your questions for the staff are prepared well in advance before you arrive. Make your questions succinct; thank the workers and always be polite. Health care workers in nursing homes today are under a lot of pressure and have more restrictions on their time,” Dreher advises.

Make Observations

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During your visit – whether it’s in person, through a window or via video call – take note of your loved one’s health . “Observation, even if just through a window, can give you some idea of your loved one’s physical condition – for instance, if their clothes are clean, if their hair is brushed or if they’ve lost weight ,” says Robyn Grant, director of public policy and advocacy at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.

Grant says it’s important to observe the facility (for example, is it clean or does it smell?) and staff behavior. “Are they wearing face masks? Are they washing their hands or using hand sanitizer before and after contact with your loved one?” Grant asks.

She also recommends asking your loved about his or her experience in the nursing home, such as:

• Are there enough staff to help you when you need it?
• How do you spend your day? Are you getting outside your room?
• How have your meals been?
• Are staff giving you baths or showers and changing your clothes daily?

What to Do Together

The nature of visiting restrictions may determine what you can do. You may be permitted to stroll or roll (if your loved one is in a wheelchair) around the nursing home grounds. If that’s not possible, perhaps you can still:

• Play a video game (such as a card game) while sitting 6 feet apart. Electronic devices such as iPads can make that work.
• Listen to favorite music together.
• Sing songs on a video call.
• Use a video call to give your loved one a tour of something (your house or yard) or have grandchildren demonstrate an activity they’re involved in (playing a musical instrument, for example).
• Assist your loved one with errands. Make a shopping list together so you can go out and get needed items.
• Present your loved one with something special. Find out what’s permitted in advance, and consider bringing some special sweets, a meal from your loved one’s favorite restaurant or meaningful objects (label them first). “Framed pictures of family members, new pajamas, a soft blanket and favorite magazines are nice gifts. Anything you can do to bring love and joy will be very appreciated,” Dreher says.

How do you decide what to do? “Take cues from your loved one and let them guide the visit,” Grant advises. “Remember the visit is about them and their needs.”

What to Talk About

Conversation will take center stage during your visit, even if your loved one isn’t able to chat much anymore. Some guidelines:

• Express positive emotions. “Tell your loved one how good it is to see them, how much you’ve missed them and how much you’ve thought of them,” Grant recommends. “If they're excited to talk to you, let them lead the conversation.”
• Keep it light. “Try to keep the visit social and not bring up stressful topics,” Dreher suggests.
• Be aware of who's steering the conversation. "If they're excited to talk to you, let them lead the conversation. They may just enjoy sharing their thoughts and experiences. Alternatively, if they're quiet or withdrawn, you can lead the conversation, sharing positive experiences and thoughts," Grant advises. "Try to answer the questions they ask and remember to keep the focus on their needs."
• Reminisce about happy times , such as previous holidays, special milestones or nice things the person has done for you in the past that you still appreciate.
• Bring your loved one up to date about positive things happening in your life or your family members’ lives. Let your loved one know what’s happening outside of the nursing home walls so they can feel involved in your life.
• Remind them of things they can look forward to. Having an eye on something positive in the future brings purpose and helps people get through tough times.

If your loved one wants to talk about something serious, listen and show empathy. It could be a helpful cathartic moment for them.

Some Final Advice

Remember that your loved one is in a nursing home because he or she is frail and needs lots of assistance to get through the day. Try to be gentle:

• Be sensitive to memory changes . If your loved one has any cognitive impairment, don’t press them about people or past experiences if they don’t remember. If they repeat themselves or ask the same questions, be patient.
• Make a "soft" exit. It can be hard to leave when your visiting time is over. Consider coordinating your visit with an upcoming activity, such as a nap or lunch. Once your loved one is absorbed in what's happening, your departure won't feel so upsetting.
• Share feedback with staff. Report any concerns to a nurse or go up the chain of command to the nursing director or administrator.

And schedule another visit soon. It will bring meaning to your loved one and give them a reason to keep going, especially during the pandemic.

The Best Ways for Nursing Home Residents to Stay Active

The U.S. News Health team delivers accurate information about health, nutrition and fitness, as well as in-depth medical condition guides. All of our stories rely on multiple, independent sources and experts in the field, such as medical doctors and licensed nutritionists. To learn more about how we keep our content accurate and trustworthy, read our  editorial guidelines .

Dreher is the president of NShore Patient Advocates LLC in Chicago.

Grant is the director of public policy and advocacy at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.

Tags: senior health , nursing homes , caregiving , aging , family health , senior citizens , health , health care , assisted living

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Payton Sy May 10, 2024

We should value all ages in our communities, from the very young to the very old. But the oldest old in nursing homes and assisted living facilities often feel isolated and excluded. Developing stronger connections between these older adults and their community can have tremendous benefits for young and old. Even older adults with serious memory loss or cognitive limitations can still enjoy a visit, even if they don't remember it later. Elementary-aged children, especially those in fourth to seventh grades, often value the opportunity to make a difference in an older person's life. They are eager to help in a nursing home once they become comfortable. They learn how to interact with people different than themselves and they learn responsibility – because the older people depend on them. While a single visit to a nursing home is a valuable experience for children and will brighten the day for older adults, an ongoing visitation program is most effective. Said one staff member in a nursing home, "We don't want it to be 'let's go see the old people' just like it's a trip to the Statue of Liberty." An ongoing series of visits allows the understanding and trust to develop which are essential for a real connection between people of any age. Before children visit a nursing home, you may want to read and talk about some of these storybooks: A Little Something by Susan V. Bosak; Sunshine Home by Eve Bunting; My Grandma's in a Nursing Home by Judy Delton; Loop the Loop by Barbara Dugan; Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox; Always Gramma by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; Remember That by Lesléa Newman; A Visit to Oma by Marisabina Russo; Old People, Frogs and Albert by Nancy Hope Wilson. Talk about what to expect during a visit to a nursing home (e.g. residents in wheelchairs, unfamiliar smells, some residents may not seem responsive, etc.). Answer any questions or concerns children may have. Talk about their feelings about visiting older adults. Many older people never have visitors and spend their days alone and lonely. Why do you think this is? Do you think it's because we don't want to think about growing old? Why or why not? Have you ever been in a nursing home or other seniors' care facility? How did you feel? Now plan a visit to a nursing home or other seniors' care facility near you. Some general tips:

After a first visit to a nursing home, talk about what happened and how children felt. Do you think you made a difference in the lives of the residents? Why? What did you learn about older people? Do you think visiting older people is important? Why? One of the biggest barriers to young and old coming together is often difficulties communicating. They may not know what to say to each other, feel uncomfortable, or are unsure about how to make a meaningful connection. A great introduction to communication in general is Aliki's storybook Communication . It explores the many forms and aspects of human communication and is a good starting point for intergenerational communication. You can then read through the Tips for Communicating With Cognitively Limited Older Adults . For older adults with few functional limitations, reading a picture book with a child can be a great icebreaker. Reading takes the pressure off both young and old to "entertain" each other. Other simple activities to help older adults communicate with the young include Hot – and Not , Grandchild Interview , and Did You Ever…? Children might want to do an interview with an older adult using pages from the Generations Scrapbook or the Life Interview Questions . Teenagers can take the lead in communicating with older adults using the Fill-in-the-Blanks Life Story . The Ages & Stages activities also have some ideas. The above activities can form the basis for young people to enter the Legacy Project's annual Listen to a Life Essay Contest . Feeling like their life story is important – important enough to enter into a contest! – can mean the world to an older adult.

© SV Bosak, www.legacyproject.org

What to Expect at Your First Home Care Visit

When you’re coming home from the hospital, it can be a relief to know that your doctor’s orders include home care. At the same time, you may be unsure about what to expect from your first home care visit or how to prepare for it. With VNS Health, your care will be tailored to your unique needs.

Before Your First Visit

While you’re still in the hospital, a VNS Health representative will work with your doctor to determine the care you will need once you’re home. On the day you go home, your VNS Health representative will help ensure a smooth transition as you are discharged. You’ll have that day to get settled, fill any prescriptions, and rest before your first home care visit. It’s important to understand that your home care nurse will not visit you on your first day back from the hospital.

The morning after you go home, a representative from VNS Health will call you to tell you what time your nurse will visit.

After a hospital visit or injury, you have enough to worry about. We offer expert care so you or a loved one can recover safely in the comfort of home.

At the First Visit

During your first visit, your nurse will explain all the details of your plan of care, including which other VNS Health professionals — such as physical therapists, social workers, registered dietitians, and home health aides — are part of your home care team and how often you’ll see them.

If you received instructions about your care while you were in the hospital, your nurse will review them with you to make sure you understand and are comfortable performing them. Be sure to have your discharge instructions and a list of medications ready to show the nurse. Your nurse will also remind you of your follow-up doctor’s appointments, will answer any questions you or your caregivers have, and will demonstrate any techniques necessary for your care. In addition, your nurse will order any supplies you need, from oxygen to sterile gloves, and teach you and your caregivers how to use any special equipment that’s part of your treatment.

Your nurse will also perform a thorough evaluation of your condition. They will:

• Check your vital signs
• Monitor any wound or incision sites
• Administer any medications

Depending on your needs, your first visit may last up to 3 hours.

During Your Time Receiving Home Care

VNS Health will provide all the services your doctor has ordered. We’ll help you understand what to expect regarding your medical condition and recovery, teach you how to manage and monitor your condition, and support you through your recovery.

The best way to make home care successful is to prepare for it in advance by making a list of responsibilities and chores you’d like the home care professional to take on. This way, you can be sure you will receive the help you need. It’s also smart to map out a schedule for meals, medications, sleep, exercise, and other activities and to make a list of emergency phone numbers for doctors, as well as friends and family members who can help in a pinch.

Whether you require skilled medical care or assistance with personal care, you can be sure that your plan of care will include all the services your doctor prescribes to meet your needs.

Sign up for VNS Health’s newsletter just for caregivers.

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Nursing Home Visit – Tips & What To Expect

If you are preparing for your first nursing home visit, read this guide. This is packed with helpful tips so you can be prepared.

Reasons Nurses Do Home Visits

There are lots of reasons that a nurse might visit someone’s home. Before I share some of my tips, it’s important to understand the purpose of the visit. Each type of home visit will have different goals and outcomes, so you’ll do different things when you arrive.

These are the main reasons that nurses might do home visits:

• Care for a sick patient as a home-care nurse
• Teach care techniques to a postpartum family
• Assess the living condition of a patient and/or their family members for upcoming care
• Teach people about prevention and control of diseases from within their homes
• To promote the utilization of community services

7. Make Another Appointment

Your chances of doing a home visit as a nurse will depend on where you work. Typically, community outreach organizations and home health care agencies will do the most frequent home visits.

How To Decide Whether To Do A Home Visit

If you are a new nurse, you probably won’t be the one making the decision about whether to visit a patient’s home, but it is still good to know how the decision is made.

Typically, these are the main guidelines that health care providers use to decide whether nurses should visit a patient in their home:

• The needs of the patient and their family – including physical, psychological, and educational
• Patient and family’s acceptance and willingness to cooperate
• Patient and family’s ability to recognize their needs and their ability to use the resources for their benefits
• How many health personnel are already involved in the care of this specific family
• The policy of the agency in regards to the home visits

How To Do A Home Visit

When it comes time to do your first home visit, just follow these steps in order. This will help you have a pleasant experience and make sure you don’t forget something important.

1. Greet The Patient

Arrive with a smile and introduce yourself. Remember to state where you are coming from and your role in the agency. Make sure you ask them their name and what they prefer to be called (if they have a nickname).

2. Tell Them The Purpose Of The Visit

Go into detail about why you are there and what you are hoping to accomplish. This part should be detailed so that they know what to expect.

3. Assess The Patient

Next you will do a quick observation and assessment. This is a silent and mental one so that you know what you will have to do while on your visit.

4. Set Your Bag In A Clean Place

Make sure your bag is sitting on a table that is lined with clean paper. Then, wash your hands with soap and water. Take out all the tools you will need for your visit so they are easy to access. Put on an apron, close the bag, and you are ready for your nursing care treatment.

5. Perform Your Nursing Care

After you are all prepared, you can do the care which you came to do. One of the most important things you will do on these visits is educate the patient and/or their family. Listen to their questions attentively and answer them the best you can. Direct them to any community services if you cannot help them right away.

6. Keep Excellent Records

Write everything down. Record the date, what you observed, and all the care you gave the patient. Also write down everything you told the family for caring for the patient at home.

If necessary, make an appointment to return and give more care. This is always needed, but don’t leave until you verified whether they need a follow up.

Nursing Home Visit: Final Thoughts

It might be nerve-wracking to think about visiting a patient or their family at their home. If you are really nervous, you can ask a friend or family member to help you prepare. Do a few practice runs as you introduce yourself and go through the motions of the assessment and care.

Set realistic expectations for yourself. If you need notes to remember what to ask, then take them along. Always ask for help when you need it. These can be very valuable and give the education and support that the patient and/or their family

More Nursing Tips

If you enjoyed these nursing home visit tips, then here are some more tips and advice about life as a nurse.

• How To Get ACLS Certified
• How To Write A Cover Letter
• The Best Accelerated Nursing Programs

About The Author

Brittney wilson, bsn, rn, related posts.

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Coronavirus Updates

The coronavirus crisis, indoor visits with nursing home residents ok, new cdc guidance says.

Scott Neuman

A CVS pharmacist gives the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a resident at the Emerald Court senior living community in Anaheim, Calif., in January. Federal health officials have revised advice on nursing home visitations for the first time since September. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group via Getty Images hide caption

A CVS pharmacist gives the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a resident at the Emerald Court senior living community in Anaheim, Calif., in January. Federal health officials have revised advice on nursing home visitations for the first time since September.

Health officials have relaxed federal COVID-19 guidance for nursing homes for the first time since September, recommending that even unvaccinated visitors and residents be allowed to meet in person under most circumstances.

"Facilities should allow indoor visitation at all times and for all residents (regardless of vaccination status), except for a few circumstances when visitation should be limited due to a high risk of COVID-19 transmission," the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , or CMS, said in advice issued Wednesday.

The revised advice also said that "compassionate care visits should be permitted at all times."

In the latest guidance, however, the CMS recommends that indoor visit should be limited in cases where an unvaccinated resident is in a county where the coronavirus positivity rate exceeds 10% and fewer than 70% of the facility's residents are fully vaccinated.

Other exceptions are for residents confirmed to have COVID-19 — regardless of their vaccination status — and residents in quarantine.

While indoor visits are acceptable, outdoor visits pose less risk and are "preferred even when the resident and visitor are fully vaccinated," the guidelines said.

The revised recommendations are a further sign that the U.S. may be finally turning the corner on the coronavirus pandemic, a year after it began. Nearly 530,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University . The number of new coronavirus infections among the general U.S. population has also been generally declining since January, although that positive trend appears to have leveled off at about 60,000 new cases a day.

In other guidance earlier this week, the CDC said individuals who are fully vaccinated can spend time indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks or social distancing.

The CDC also said fully vaccinated people can socialize with "unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing."

However, people who are fully vaccinated should still wear masks in public, the guidance stated.

Nearly 63 million Americans — or nearly 19% of the U.S. population — have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 10% have been fully vaccinated. About a third of Americans 65 years or older have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC .

Meanwhile, President Biden on Wednesday ordered an additional 100 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine in case of "unexpected challenges" in fighting the pandemic.

Biden said Americans would be given priority for the vaccines, but that any surplus would be shared with the world.

"We're not going to be ultimately safe, until the world is safe," he said .

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Do’s and Don’ts for Visiting Someone with Dementia

People with dementia can still enjoy having visitors

Older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may still enjoy having visitors.

To help everyone have a positive experience when visiting someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, a little advance preparation goes a long way.

You can set visitors up for success by sharing some do’s and don’ts ahead of time and create a calm environment so your older adult can focus better.

Having a great visit and understanding more about dementia might even encourage family and friends to visit more often.

4 tips for planning visits strategically

• Limit visitors to 1 or 2 people at a time. Too many people can be overwhelming.
• Schedule visits for the time of day when your older adult is usually at their best.
• Minimize distractions by keeping the environment calm and quiet . Turn off the TV or loud music and ask any non-visitors to go to another room.
• Send the do’s and don’ts list to your visitors ahead of time so they’ll have time to absorb the information.

21 essential do’s and don’ts for visiting someone with Alzheimer’s

• Keep your tone and body language  friendly and positive.
• Don’t speak too loudly.
• Make eye contact and stay at their eye level.
• Introduce yourself even if you’re sure they must know you. “Hi Grandma, I’m Joe, your grandson.”
• Speak slowly and in short sentences with only one idea per sentence. For example: “Hi Mary. I’m Jane, your friend.” or “What a beautiful day. The sunshine is nice, isn’t it?” or “Tell me about your daughter.”
• Give them extra time to speak or answer questions, don’t rush the conversation.
• Use open-ended questions so there will be no right or wrong answers.
• Be ok with sitting together in silence. They may enjoy that just as much as talking.
• Follow their lead, don’t force conversation topics or activities.
• Validate their feelings. Allow them to express sadness, fear, or anger.
• Enter their reality . Go with the flow of the conversation even if they talk about things that aren’t true or don’t make sense.
• Share and discuss memories of the past. They’re more likely to remember things from long ago.
• Come prepared with an activity, like something to read out loud, a photo album to look at, or some of their favorite music to listen to.
• Give hugs, gentle touches, or massage arms or shoulders if the person gives permission and enjoys it.
• Say “do you remember?” This can cause anger or embarrassment.
• Argue. If they say something that’s not correct, just let it go .
• Point out mistakes. It just makes them feel badly and doesn’t help the conversation.
• Assume they don’t remember anything. Many people have moments of clarity.
• Take mean or nasty things they say personally. The disease may twist their words or make them react badly out of confusion, frustration, fear, or anger.
• Talk down to them. They aren’t children and you should show the proper respect.
• Talk about them with other people as if they’re not there.

Recommended for you:

• 15 Insightful Dementia Communication Tips
• Answer 3 Tough Questions from Seniors with Alzheimer’s
• Best Way to Make Video Calls to Seniors with Alzheimer’s or Dementia in Nursing Homes

By DailyCaring Editorial Team

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My 93 yr old mother is in a memory care nursing home. She has been there 3 months and still is confused about where she is and why she is not at home. When I visit (once or twice a week) she cries when I leave and begs me not to. Would it help her if I just go for shorter visits daily at the same time?

DailyCaring

That’s a great thing to try. It often takes some experimenting to find something that will work and help her feel more calm at the end of your visits. If her dementia is advanced enough that her short-term memory has declined significantly, you could try something like telling her you’re going to the restroom (instead of saying you’re leaving) and then she won’t remember that you didn’t come back.

You could also try giving her a stuffed animal (maybe one that reminds her of a former pet?) or a baby doll to help provide comfort. We’ve got more info here – https://dailycaring.com/the-positive-effect-of-therapy-dolls-for-dementia/

my friend is in an assisted living facility, and wants to come to our house to play cards one night her POA does not think that is a good idea.

It’s great that you want to keep playing cards with your friend. There might be a good reason why her POA doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Maybe you could visit her in the assisted living community and play cards there.

Mary njoroge

dimentia victims,are all about,care , loving n passion,it’s a stage where every patient need that feeling of love,and care from those around him or her

Absolutely! 💜

Anna Marie Tice

my close friend has dementia. She is now at a facility that takes care of her. I visit with her at least once a week.

It’s wonderful that she’s well cared for and that you’re able to visit so often 💜

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Coding for E/M home visits changed this year. Here’s what you need to know

CPT has revised codes for at-home evaluation and management (E/M) services as of Jan. 1, 2023. Services to patients in a private residence (e.g., house or apartment) or temporary lodgings (e.g., hotel or shelter) are now combined with services in facilities where only minimal health care is provided (e.g., independent or assisted living) in these code families:

Home or residence E/M services, new patient

• 99341, straightforward medical decision making (MDM) or at least 15 minutes total time,

• 99342, low level MDM or at least 30 minutes total time,

• 99344 (code 99343 has been deleted), moderate level MDM or at least 60 minutes total time, 

• 99345, high level MDM or at least 75 minutes total time.

Home or residence services, established patient   

• 99347, straightforward MDM or at least 20 minutes total time,

• 99348, low level MDM or at least 30 minutes total time,

• 99349, moderate level MDM or at least 40 minutes total time,

• 99350, high level MDM or at least 60 minutes total time. 

Select these codes based on either your level of medical decision making or total time on the date of the encounter , similar to selecting codes for office visits . The E/M codes specific to domiciliary, rest home (e.g., boarding home), or custodial care (99324-99238, 99334-99337, 99339, and 99340) have been deleted, and the above codes should also be used in those settings.

When total time on the date of the encounter exceeds the threshold for code 99345 or 99350 by at least 15 minutes, you can add code 99417 to report prolonged services. The exception to this is for patients with Medicare. For those patients, report prolonged home or residence services to Medicare with code G0318 in addition to 99345 (requires total time ≥140 minutes) or 99350 (requires total time ≥110 minutes). Code G0318 is not limited to time on the date of the encounter, but includes any work within three days prior to the service or within seven days after.

Services provided in facilities where significant medical or psychiatric care is available (e.g., nursing facility, intermediate care facility for persons with intellectual disabilities, or psychiatric residential treatment facility) are reported with codes 99304-99310 .

— Cindy Hughes, CPC, CFPC

Posted on Jan. 19, 2023

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Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the opinions and views of the American Academy of Family Physicians. This blog is not intended to provide medical, financial, or legal advice. Some payers may not agree with the advice given. This is not a substitute for current CPT and ICD-9 manuals and payer policies. All comments are moderated and will be removed if they violate our Terms of Use .

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Nursing home care

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)  may cover care in a certified skilled nursing facility (SNF) . It must be  medically necessary   for you to have  skilled nursing care  (like changing sterile dressings).

Medicare doesn't cover custodial care if it's the only care you need. Most nursing home care is custodial care, which helps you with activities of daily living (like bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, and eating) or personal needs that could be done safely and reasonably without professional skills or training.  

Things to know

If you're in a  Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C)  (like an HMO or PPO) or other Medicare health plan, check with your plan to see if it covers nursing home care. Usually, plans don't help pay for this care unless the nursing home has a contract with the plan. Ask your plan about nursing home coverage and check the facility’s quality ratings before you make any arrangements to enter a nursing home.  

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Longtime nursing professor donates to support pediatric care education in honor of late brother

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August 13, 2024 : By Ryan Klinker - Office of Communications & Public Engagement

Dr. Cindy Goodrich has been a fixture at Liberty University’s School of Nursing (LUSON) since 1996, devoting herself to the education of Christian nurses through her heart for God and the LUSON community, or as she describes it, her “family.” Recently, Goodrich decided to make a donation to the nursing program in honor of a special member of her biological family — her late brother, James “Jimmy” Henry Goodrich — and his name now sits on a plaque outside of one the school’s pediatric care labs.

Jimmy was born in 1945 with multiple health issues that the doctors at his small country hospital in New York and at Massachusetts General Hospital did not know how to treat properly at the time. He passed away at the age of 3.

“I was born eight years after he was, but my mother just always had that little hole in her heart because of him, so I felt like I knew him and felt the impact that he had on our whole family,” Goodrich said. “My mother always felt he was like a little angel that somehow slipped out of heaven and taught so many lessons. He had an impact on us, and he never knew it.”

Goodrich shared how her mother, Jean, who was “churched” but didn’t have a relationship with God, felt alone and isolated in caring for Jimmy, having to rely on her own strength to look after him. It wasn’t until Jean was 60, when she was saved at a neighborhood Bible study, that she reflected and saw God’s hand in those arduous times.

“She looked back after she was saved and saw that, during those times when she felt she was alone, Jesus was with her all along in the fire,” Goodrich said. “I did not know my brother from personal experience but heard every reflection as to how his life influenced the family and made a significant impact.”

“I’ve been working with the (Development) office probably for about 20 years now. I have no heirs, so I am giving whatever’s left to Liberty for scholarships, and I thought, ‘Maybe I could do something now where I could see it,’” she said. “This would be something that students really could benefit from, and it is pediatrics, which is fitting (for Jimmy’s memory).”

The Goodrich Nursing Simulation Pediatric Acute Critical Lab in DeMoss Hall was officially named in a ceremony on Aug. 9 attended by LUSON faculty and students and Development staff.

“I’ve known Dr. Goodrich for 30 years; she was the first person I ever interacted with when I became a nurse extern, and she’s been a mentor to me ever since then,” LUSON Interim Dean Dr. Tracey Turner said. “Her love for nurse education, the field of nursing, and her students is wonderful, but bigger than that is her love for God. She’s a (beloved) person here in the School of Nursing, she wins academic awards, but it’s her heart that really makes her special.”

During the unveiling of a plaque outside the lab, Executive Vice President of Development Brian Mentzer thanked Goodrich for her multifaceted giving to Liberty and its students.

“Dr. Goodrich, you have certainly excelled in generosity,” he said, quoting 2 Corinthians 8:7. “You have given of yourself to students over the years, to Liberty University, with the gifts of encouragement, information, love, and your finances, and we thank you very much for your generosity.”

The donation also helped the nursing program procure an Advanced Pediatric HAL S2225: Five-year-old Pediatric Patient Simulator , manufactured by Gaumard. The device is the world’s most advanced pediatric patient simulator and the first capable of simulating life-like emotions through dynamic facial expressions, movement, and speech. It is designed to help providers of all levels develop the specialized skills needed to effectively communicate, diagnose, and treat young patients in nearly all clinical areas.

The simulated male child may be named “Hal,” but Lisa Foote, LUSON’s executive director of simulation and standardized patients, stated that it will herein be referred to as “Jimmy.”

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Aged care home fined after resident suffers severe burns

A Melbourne aged care provider has been fined $66,000 after a resident suffered severe burns and later died following prolonged contact with a wall heater.

Published: 13 August 2024

Blue Cross Community Care Services Group Pty Ltd was sentenced in the Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 6 August after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to ensure the workplace was safe and without risks to health.

The company was fined without conviction and ordered to pay $4,132 in costs.

In October 2021, the 90-year-old non-ambulant resident had an unwitnessed fall out of his bed at the Glenroy facility, resulting in his feet coming to rest against a hydronic wall heater for an unknown length of time.

At the time of the incident, the injured resident was among a number at the facility that were COVID-19 positive, with restrictions impacting on staffing, rostering and work practices for attending to residents.

The resident suffered severe burns and in the following weeks the injuries deteriorated, requiring four toes to be amputated from his left foot and a skin graft on his right foot.

About four months later, the resident died due to sepsis caused by complications of necrotic burns.

The court heard that the risk of heater burns had been identified within the aged care industry, including through Coroners Court recommendations and bulletins issued by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

WorkSafe's investigation found a risk assessment of the Blue Cross facility conducted two months before the incident had recommended the provider review the temperatures of all heaters to ensure residents could not be burnt and to consider installing heater guards.

It was reasonably practicable for the provider to have reduced the risk of burns by replacing the wall heaters with a model featuring cool-touch surfaces or fitting protective covers to the existing heaters and piping; by training and instructing workers to ensure individual heaters were set at a lower temperature and were checked regularly; and by lowering the maximum temperature of the main boiler.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said the incident was entirely preventable.

"The risk of wall heaters causing burn injuries to aged care residents is well known within the industry, and so are the ways to control it," Mr Jenkin said.

"There can be no excuses for this facility's failure to protect a vulnerable person in their care from a hazard they had been warned about on multiple occasions."

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Visit the vet without leaving your home, thanks to chewy.

Have you ever found yourself at three in the morning, Googling “How much grass can my dog eat ?” Or maybe you’ve wondered if your cat’s new obsession with staring at the wall means they’re plotting world domination? (Spoiler: they are). Worry no more, because Chewy can swoop in to save your most perplexing pet moments with their Connect with a Vet service.

Connect with a Vet, a Chewy Service

• Eliminates the stress of traveling to a clinic
• Instant or scheduled consultations; no waiting days or weeks for an appointment
• Generally more cost-effective than in-person vet visits, especially for routine questions or minor health concerns
• “Virtual consults are a supplement to clinic visits” as CarePlus by Chewy does not “prescribe, treat, or diagnose,” per Dr. Bledsoe
• Dependent on a stable internet connection

What is Connect with a Vet?

Imagine having a friendly, knowledgeable veterinarian right at your fingertips, without leaving the comfort of your couch (or bed, no judgment). Chewy’s Connect with a Vet is an online service that lets you chat with licensed veterinarians via video or text. It’s like having a virtual pet whisperer who can decode every bark, purr, and meow right from your laptop or phone.

“Our team is made up of licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians,” stated Dr. Sara Bledsoe, DVM, CVA, CHPV, veterinarian at Chewy . “Online vet visits with our team are a fast, easy way to get answers to your pet-related questions and concerns. Virtual vet professional consults are supplementary to in-office visits.” The only con? “Our telehealth team cannot diagnose or treat medical conditions or prescribe medications for a pet.”

How does it work?

“There are two easy ways to connect with our licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians,” advised Dr. Bledsoe.

“Live Chat consults will connect you instantly, so you can get advice right when you need it. Use the text-based live chat to exchange messages, pictures, and videos with the veterinarian or veterinary technician. Video Consults are scheduled in advance, so you can select a date and time that works best for you. There are usually same-day appointments available, or you can schedule a video call up to 2 weeks in advance. All video consults are 20 minutes long. You’ll be able to see and talk with the online veterinarian, as well as show your pet on camera.”

In short, here’s the lowdown (easy as 1, 2, 3):

• Sign up: If you’re already a Chewy customer, you’re halfway there. Just log in to your account. If not, sign up — it’s quick and painless, unlike trying to get your cat into a carrier.
• Book a session: Schedule a video call or start a text chat. You can do it at a time that works for you — no more waiting weeks for an appointment.
• Chat away: Discuss your pet’s quirks and issues with a real, live veterinarian. The vets are here to help with advice, diagnoses, and even prescription refills.

What does it cost?

“Connect with a Vet live chat is free for Chewy customers,” said Dr. Bledsoe. “The price for a single video appointment (20 minutes) is $19.99,” and you get an “unlimited number of sessions. Connect with a Vet is currently available to customers nationwide except customers residing in Alaska and Hawaii,” unfortunately.

Why you’ll love it

• Convenience: No more wrestling your dog into the car or dealing with a hissing cat at the vet’s office if not totally necessary. Connect from anywhere — your living room, your backyard, or even your pet’s favorite napping spot.
• Expert advice: Get professional advice from licensed vets who genuinely care about your furry friend. They’re like the wise owl of the pet world, minus the hooting. “Our licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians talk through your pet’s symptoms and provide information about illnesses, allergies, injuries, and more,” commented Dr. Bledsoe.
• Peace of mind: Whether it’s a minor question or a bigger concern, you’ll get answers quickly. Think of it as a security blanket for pet parents — soft, comforting, and always there when you need it. It’s also an ideal way to “learn how to support your pet’s well-being at every age, from supplements to dental care,” advised Dr. Bledsoe. “We’ll help take the guesswork out of food and treats for your cat or dog.”
• Affordable: It’s a budget-friendly way to keep your pet’s health in check. You might even save enough to buy that fancy cat tree or those gourmet dog treats you’ve been eyeing.

The verdict

Next time you catch your dog chewing on something questionable or your cat refuses to eat, don’t stress. With Chewy’s Connect with a Vet, expert advice is just a click away. Your pet will thank you with extra cuddles, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. It’s like having a superhero vet on speed dial — minus the cape, but full of wisdom and care.

Remember, in the world of pet parenting, there are no silly questions, only happy, healthy pets. So go ahead, Connect with a Vet, and give your furry friend the best care possible — because they deserve it, and you deserve peace of mind.

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