Westminster Cares Re-Launches Community Nurse Program
Westminster Cares welcomes Kathy Shuster as our new Community Nurse. Kathy is a dedicated nurse case manager experienced with the health care needs of Vermonters. She has worked in community nursing and public health settings for most of her 30-year career.
As a former resident of Westminster, Kathy will combine her knowledge of the community with her extensive experience in skilled home care and care management and coordination.
What is a Community Nurse? Community Nurses work to improve the health and well-being of the community they serve by educating them about illness, disease prevention, safe health practices, and how to obtain health care services. They also facilitate communication between people, their families, and the medical community in order to improve health outcomes.
Community Nurses also support older adults who desire to remain at home, through phone calls and emails with the client and family members along with home visits and coordination of care with providers. This service is provided to clients at no cost. The Community Nurse does not do direct hands-on care or treatments. She will assess needs, provide education and refer to an appropriate provider when necessary. The nurse does not replace regular physician visits or visiting nurses ordered by your physician.
To re-launch this program, Westminster Cares is partnering with Community Nurse Connection, an organization that supports Community Nursing projects. They provide start-up grants; host virtual monthly nursing peer support meetings; provide access to a confidential electronic documentation system and provide outcome data for use in reports and grants. Initially, Kathy will be working one afternoon per week, but we have plans to secure additional funding to support more hours. The Community Nurse model of in-home support and health care coordination for older adults fills significant gaps in the health care continuum, particularly for rural communities such as Westminster. Having a locally based program allows the nurse to tap into and work with community partners as well as partners from the traditional health care system, to improve the quality of life for older adults.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment with the Community Nurse, call the Westminster Cares office at (802) 722-3607. In January, you can meet Kathy at one of the SOUPer Wednesday lunches at the First Congregational Church on Rte. 5.
As a former resident of Westminster, Kathy will combine her knowledge of the community with her extensive experience in skilled home care and care management and coordination.
What is a Community Nurse? Community Nurses work to improve the health and well-being of the community they serve by educating them about illness, disease prevention, safe health practices, and how to obtain health care services. They also facilitate communication between people, their families, and the medical community in order to improve health outcomes.
Community Nurses also support older adults who desire to remain at home, through phone calls and emails with the client and family members along with home visits and coordination of care with providers. This service is provided to clients at no cost. The Community Nurse does not do direct hands-on care or treatments. She will assess needs, provide education and refer to an appropriate provider when necessary. The nurse does not replace regular physician visits or visiting nurses ordered by your physician.
To re-launch this program, Westminster Cares is partnering with Community Nurse Connection, an organization that supports Community Nursing projects. They provide start-up grants; host virtual monthly nursing peer support meetings; provide access to a confidential electronic documentation system and provide outcome data for use in reports and grants. Initially, Kathy will be working one afternoon per week, but we have plans to secure additional funding to support more hours. The Community Nurse model of in-home support and health care coordination for older adults fills significant gaps in the health care continuum, particularly for rural communities such as Westminster. Having a locally based program allows the nurse to tap into and work with community partners as well as partners from the traditional health care system, to improve the quality of life for older adults.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment with the Community Nurse, call the Westminster Cares office at (802) 722-3607. In January, you can meet Kathy at one of the SOUPer Wednesday lunches at the First Congregational Church on Rte. 5.