Celebrating Porter Hills Home Health Care during National Home Care and Hospice Month

In recognition of November as National Home Care and Hospice Month, Brio Living Services is proud to recognize and celebrate the amazing work of Porter Hills Home Health Care, a Brio home-and community-based program that has immense impact across the organization and throughout the Grand Rapids area.

With a service radius spanning 50 miles, Porter Hills Home Health Care provides a wide range of services including: skilled nursing care, physical, occupational, and speech-language therapies, medical social services, and medication management.

When asked what sets Porter Hills Home Health Care apart from other providers in West Michigan, Executive Director Amy Thackery highlighted the intentionality, collaboration, and support provided by Brio Living Services—not only to the older adults served, but also to the team members who work diligently to deliver these services. “Brio has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in West Michigan for 22 years and in the Nation for the last 2 years, and our low turnover rates are a testament to that,” Amy shared. She also pointed to a strong correlation between team member retention and the quality of care provided. “When we take good care of our team members, they take good care of the older adults we serve.”

As the aging population continues to increase in Michigan, so has the desire of older adults to “age in place.” In fact, a 2023 University of Michigan poll has shown a significant majority of older adults, approximately 93%, express a preference to “age in place.” When asked how Porter Hills Home Health Care is contributing to the wishes of older adults to age in their own homes, Amy explains that she and her team act as both a “bridge” and “buffer.” Amy described Porter Hills Home Health as a bridge to continuing the path of independent living for older adults by working closely and collectively with various teams throughout Brio Living Services, as well as hospitals in the area to develop high quality care plans for older adults following a trip to the hospital. Amy further explained that through Porter Hills Home Health, patients can recuperate in the comfort of their own homes, which aids in reducing the prevalence of future hospitalizations.

Keeping with Brio Living Services’ vision of creating a world in which all are empowered to age well, Amy is both excited and optimistic about the future of Porter Hills Home Health Care, citing the expansion of their telemonitoring system and outpatient therapy program as trailblazers in the future of home health.

Our remote patient monitoring systems have already begun to yield positive outcomes in this regard. “As our care technology evolves and our services expand, the goal will be to continue to partner with the people we serve in their journey to recovery, empowering them to play a lead role in their care plans, and reducing the need for institutional intervention,” explains Amy. She recalls a recent interaction with a client who was taking charge of managing his antibiotic infusions at home, but was hesitant that he was doing it correctly, causing him to call the office frequently with concerns. “Thanks to our remote patient monitoring system, our nurse was able to conduct a telehealth visit with him,” says Amy. “This allowed the nurse to walk him through the procedure and visually verify that he was engaging in the correct steps, ensuring that the procedure was completed without incident going forward and giving the confidence to proceed independently in the future.”

Moments like these exemplify the importance of technology in allowing our Home Health team to strengthen their approaches to care, while keeping individuals out of institutional settings and allowing them to age in place.

Learn more about how Porter Hills Home Health Care is helping older adults age independently, vibrantly, and safely in their own homes.