[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 22070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL HOME CARE AND HOSPICE MONTH

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, November is National Home Care and 
Hospice Month, which gives us the opportunity to honor the home health 
and hospice caregivers and volunteers who make such a remarkable 
difference in the lives of their patients and their families. The 
highly skilled and compassionate care that home health and hospice 
agencies provide has helped to keep families together and enabled 
millions of our most frail and vulnerable individuals to avoid 
hospitals and nursing homes and stay just where they want to be in the 
comfort and security of their own homes.
  Home health and hospice have consistently proven to be compassionate 
and cost-effective alternatives to institutional care. In fact, a 
recent survey conducted for the Maine chapter of AARP found that 9 out 
of 10 Mainers would prefer to receive services at home as opposed to a 
nursing home or other residential care facility. Moreover, by helping 
patients to avoid more costly hospitals and nursing homes, home health 
and hospice save Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers millions of 
dollars each year.
  Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to meet and 
visit with a number of home health and hospice patients and providers 
around my State. I have seen firsthand what a difference the highly 
skilled and compassionate care that these health professionals provide 
makes to the lives of their patients and families. That is why I am 
such a committed and passionate advocate for home health and hospice 
care. I therefore urge all of my colleagues to join me in paying 
tribute to these wonderful health care professionals and volunteers 
during the month of November as we celebrate National Home Health and 
Hospice Month.

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