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1. What home health care services does Acton Nursing Services provide?

Acton Nursing Services provides a range of skilled services tailored to the needs of its clients. Services include all those required to qualify as a certified Medicare home health care agency. These include:
• Nursing (assessing patient needs, developing an appropriate plan of care and providing skilled nursing services)
• Physical Therapy (assisting with an individual program designed to regain strength and use of muscles weakened by illness or injury)
• Occupational Therapy (helping patients to regain their ability to resume activities of daily living)
• Speech Therapy (assisting with speaking, communications and swallowing that may have been affected by stroke or other illness or injury)
• Medical Social Work (helping the patient and family adjust to illness or injury and providing information about community resources)
• Home Health Aide (providing assistance with bathing, dressing and light meal preparation for patients receiving skilled care)

2. What services doesn't ANS provide?

ANS provides the range of services required of a Medicare certified skilled home care agency. ANS does not offer custodial care or assistance with chores, housekeeping, shopping, transportation, etc. (ANS has a contract with Minuteman Senior Services to support a limited number of personal care clients).

3. What is the significance of being “Medicare Certified”?

For a home health care agency to be Medicare Certified it has to provide a range of services laid out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), submit detailed operating reports covering performance and outcomes, and be subject to oversight and inspection. Only Medicare Certified agencies can be reimbursed by Medicare for services provided under Medicare and Medicaid insurance. In many instances, commercial health insurance policies cover only services provided by Medicare Certified agencies. Acton Nursing Services has been a Medicare Certified agency since 1966. Home care agencies that are not Medicare certified generally focus on other home support activities including housekeeping, shopping, meal preparation and companionship.
Patient satisfaction statistics, published by CMS, are compiled from patient questionnaires returned to a third-party research organization.

4. What is the significance of published ratings for home health care agencies?

There are almost 10,000 Medicare Approved home health care agencies in the United States (plus an estimated 25,000 additional entities including Medicare Certified hospices and non-Medicare agencies providing some form of care in the home). The performance of these 10,000 agencies – based on patient and agency reports – is published regularly by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) in their on line Home Health Compare system. ANS earned a 4 (out of 5) star rating for Quality of Patient Care for the period January 1 – December 31, 2017, compared to the Massachusetts average rating of 3 stars and the National average rating of 3.5 stars.
Detailed patient survey results data published by CMS also show ANS Patient Satisfaction levels consistently exceeding Massachsuetts and National average performance levels for the most recent reporting period, April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018.
Another organization - ABILITY Network/ Decision Health - publishes an annual compilation of the most successful home care providers in the United States based on CMS data combined with additional information. Acton Nursing Services has been recognized as being among the Home Care Elite for 2018 – the top 25 percent of agencies in home health performance. ANS also held this distinction in 2009 and 2011-2015.

5. Who or what is FANS?

FANS is the Friends of Acton Nursing Services, registered in 1983 as a 501(c)3 non-profit volunteer organization that raises funds for supplies and equipment for Acton Nursing Services and funds and staffs various outreach events and activities to promote the agency.

6. How do ANS patients rate the performance of ANS?

ANS patients give ANS very high performance ratings according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Patient Satisfaction Surveys. For the latest reporting period, 98% of patients who responded would recommend ANS to friends and family. On all measures, ANS performed better than the Massachusetts average, which is usually better than the national averages. Check the ANS website for the most recent published performance ratings.

PATIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY – CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES

Patient Satisfaction Measure ANS / Massachusetts Avg / National Avg

How often the home health team gave care in a professional way?
97% / 88% /88%
How well did the home health team communicate with patients?
95% / 85% / 85%
Did the home health team discuss medicines, pain, and home safety with patient?
91% / 84% /83%
How do patients rate the overall care from the home health agency?
98% / 85% / 84%
Would patients recommend the home health agency to friends and family?
98% / 81% /78%
Source: Medicare.gov website - Home Care Compare, April, 2016 – March, 2017

ANS did not get a CMS star rating for the period because the number of surveys returned did not reach the required threshold. ANS did have a high percentage (52%) of patients who did return their surveys.

7. How is ANS funded? Does ANS accept charitable donations?

As part of the Town of Acton’s Health Department, Acton Nursing Services has been included in the Operations Budget of the Town of Acton since 2014. The Town budget for ANS takes account of fees paid by patients, commercial insurance companies, Medicare/Medicaid and other third-party payers related to skilled health care services delivered to Acton residents in their homes.
In addition to the budget – and to the extent funds allow - charitable donations are used to pay for some or all of the health-related expenses of any resident of the Town facing financial hardship who has unmet medical needs. Usually, residents in these circumstances are referred to the Director of the nursing service by other Town departments (e.g. police, social workers). Funds used for these activities are kept in a special Town account managed by the Town Accountant and available to the Director, Nursing Services, that is fed by donations made specifically for this purpose. Donations can be made on-line, by mail or in person. Planned donations in the form of bequests and/or permanent Trust Funds should be discussed in advance with the Town Finance Department.
Separately, ANS also continues to receive significant assistance from FANS (the Friends of Acton Nursing Service) which, at the request of the Director, Nursing Services, contributes to the cost of skilled and ancillary medical services for eligible ANS clients who remain in need. FANS also purchases and donates medical equipment and non-disposables used by ANS in serving its clients and the community (e.g. telemedicine and professional podiatry equipment, thermometers, blood pressure cuffs) and purchases marketing materials that promote ANS to the community. Since 1983, FANS has been a 501 (c) 3 non-profit volunteer organization with an independent Board. Charitable donations to FANS are generally tax-deductible.