We administer home IV therapy. Some people are on ventilators. We often find ourselves in the role of teacher, working to help both the patient and the family members participate more fully in the patient's recovery. Each nurse also oversees patient nutrition. The visiting nurse agency for Utica and Oneida County feels the financial impact of the federal balanced budget act, Schepisi explained, as do visiting nurse services statewide, particularly small ones.
Funds are tight.
Reimbursement delays compound problems. Nurses have not been reimbursed for car mileage driven after July 1998. Yet everyone is working hard to provide the best care possible. The visiting nurses are working to persuade the employer to address the increase of time demands. Nurses have more paperwork for each client because of managed care and reimbursement procedures.