I am pleased to announce that Home Healthcare Now Editorial Board member Cindy Krafft, P.T., was recently honored with the Excellence in Home Care Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. I caught up with Cindy recently to congratulate her and find out more about the award as well as her background in home healthcare.
Question: Congratulations on the Excellence in Home Care Award from the American Physical Therapy Association! Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you obtain your degree in physical therapy?
Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Question: How many years have you been delivering physical therapy in the home?
2016 will mark 21 years in home healthcare. I spent the first half exclusively in patient care delivery and began adding state- and national-level educational activities about 10 years ago. Currently I am the CEO of Kornetti & Krafft Health Care Solutions where we focus on providing regulatory and clinical education to nurses and therapists in home healthcare.
Question: Did you always know this is what you wanted to do? Or did your passion for home care come as a surprise?
I chose to be a physical therapist at age 13 and never changed my mind after that. Home healthcare was not my original plan but I tried it and fell head over heels for this setting.
Question: Do you have a specialty area within home care?
I feel strongly about interdisciplinary care management and work with agencies to implement practical and effective strategies to accomplish this. I also am a self-proclaimed OASIS geek so I think that would constitute a specialty area [smile].
Question: What made you chose home care as the setting to provide physical therapy?
I really enjoy the practicality of it. The ability to impact the quality of life for someone in his or her home is extremely rewarding.
Question: What advice would you give physical therapy students or licensed physical therapists contemplating home care?
Don't dismiss it as something to do when kids come along or a way to make extra money in addition to a regular job. Home healthcare needs therapists who are willing and able to practice to the fullest extent of licensure and be integral members of the care team.
Question: What do you predict for the future of physical therapy in the home?
The clear focus on functionality we see in healthcare reform and the emphasis on home- and community-based care provide opportunities for physical therapy to step up to the plate and help to shape patient-centered care delivery models for a wide diversity of beneficiaries. From pediatrics to geriatrics and all areas in between, the home is a great place to make meaningful impact on those we serve.
Thank you Cindy for taking the time to tell us more about yourself. Once again, congratulations on a well-deserved award.
Readers, have you or a home healthcare colleague been honored for your work in home care? If so, please let us know so we can spread the word!
We have a great lineup for you again this month. I am especially grateful to Dr. Carla Groh and Dr. Manuel Dumlao who wrote a CE feature article on a topic that is, unfortunately, all too common among home care patients. The topic is one I am sure you are familiar with-that of depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016), an alarming 37.9% of Medicare beneficiaries who received home healthcare in 2013/2014 were diagnosed with depression. That means virtually every home care clinician encounters patients with depression weekly if not daily.
Author John Yount wrote an article on how therapists at Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice in Northampton, Massachusetts developed a successful, replicable, fall reduction program for community-dwelling older adults.
Drs. Jill Brennan-Cook and Margory Molloy wrote an interesting article on using "trigger films" to educate home care providers to better communicate with older adult patients. These films are taken with an ordinary cell phone video camera, last about 2 to 4 minutes, and are meant to stimulate thought and conversation about common patient encounters, and lead clinicians to overcome age-related barriers to optimal communication.
Dr. Debra Palesy writes about a research study she conducted on the need for more organizational support for home healthcare aide training. Although conducted in Australia, this study and its results will resonate with North American readers.
Finally, Dr. Diana Mager wrote an informative update on the commonly used cholesterol-lowering drug class known as statins.
All these informative articles and our usual departments to keep you informed of best practices in home healthcare.
Best wishes,
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