Who cares about Ohioans receiving care in their homes? Who cares about how we provide and deliver care to our most vulnerable citizens?

At the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice, we do. We care. Through the #WeCareOhio campaign, launched under the Center for Community Based Care as the nation celebrates National Care at Home Month, we are emphasizing the importance of high-quality, accessible, and compassionate home care services. This is not just about delivering care – it’s about protecting the dignity, safety, and health of our aging and indigent population. Care at home services benefit patients of all ages, so truly from cradle to grave, Ohioans deserve to feel secure in their own homes knowing that they have access to the life-saving care they need. But right now, that care is under threat.

Recent research paints a worrisome picture. Medicare home health cuts and barriers to accessing these services are endangering lives across our state. For Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens—the homebound elderly and those with serious illness—timely, skilled home health care can mean the difference between life and death. Yet, cuts to home health services and administrative barriers are making it harder than ever for seniors to get the care they need.

A study led by Dr. Elan Gada of UnitedHealthcare’s Optum Group showed that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries who missed out on necessary home health care after hospitalization were 42% more likely to die within 30 days following a hospital stay compared to those who received prescribed care. These findings reflect a dangerous reality for many Ohioans. The data is clear: lack of home health care increases mortality rates, putting our seniors at serious risk.

Dr. Steven Landers, the inaugural CEO of the newly merged NAHC-NHPCO Alliance, put it best when he said, “If a drug or vaccine had the same mortality trend, it would dominate the news. Restricting access would be considered immoral, and health officials would be pushing its adoption.” His words are a stark reminder of the vital importance of home health care – and the moral imperative to ensure it remains available to all who need it.

Unfortunately, too many Ohioans are being denied this essential care. Medicare cuts and workforce shortages, compounded by administrative barriers, mean that an alarming percentage of beneficiaries – especially those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans—are missing out on prescribed home health services. Studies have shown that these denials are becoming more frequent, and the repercussions are severe. For a vulnerable senior recovering at home, an in-home nurse or therapist could be the last line of defense against life-threatening complications.

As part of our #WeCareOhio campaign, we have committed to advocating for policies that protect and expand access to home health care in Ohio. The campaign reflects our belief that everyone—from policymakers to healthcare providers to community members—has a responsibility to care for Ohio’s elderly and homebound population. Our state’s seniors deserve to remain in their homes, supported by a healthcare system that prioritizes their well-being, not one that puts them at risk.

Additionally, the CCBC is committed to the integration of HCBS into nursing education and the far-reaching effects on Ohio’s healthcare system. By preparing a new generation of home care nurses, we can better meet the needs of Ohio’s aging population.  By expanding the workforce of skilled home care nurses, we can ensure that these vulnerable populations have access to high-quality, compassionate care in the setting that is most comfortable and familiar to them – their own homes, providing Medicare and its Advantage plans will allow it.

But right now, we are watching a system that is cracking under pressure. Home health agencies in Ohio are facing financial instability, brought on by continued Medicare payment cuts. This once-stable system is now struggling to survive, and as agencies close, our seniors lose access to the care they need. The Medicare home health payment model used to offer a foundation that allowed agencies to keep skilled teams ready to meet patient needs, but that foundation is eroding. If action is not taken, more agencies will be forced to close, leaving countless seniors without care.

The #WeCareOhio campaign is a rallying cry to protect Ohio’s aging population. We urge policymakers to reverse the planned Medicare home health payment cuts for 2025 and ensure payments are adjusted to account for the rising healthcare labor costs that agencies have faced over the past five years. Additionally, lawmakers must address the administrative and financial barriers disproportionately impacting Medicare Advantage enrollees, many of whom are facing even greater challenges in accessing home health services.

Ohio’s seniors depend on us to care. And through the #WeCareOhio campaign, we are committed to doing just that – advocating for a healthcare system that ensures access to quality home health care for all of Ohio’s vulnerable populations. Our leaders in Washington must act swiftly, with bipartisan support, to prevent further destabilization of the home health system and ensure that Ohio’s seniors can live safely and with dignity in their homes.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to show that we care. The health and safety of Ohio’s aging population depend on it.

So, to everyone in the Ohio Home Care and Hospice community… I ask you, Who Cares? Join the #WeCareOhio campaign and show the world that you care!

Follow #WeCareOhio on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Lisa Von Lehmden
Executive Director
Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice

About #WeCareOhio – How to get involved?

Help us kick off the #WeCareOhio social media campaign and answer the question “who cares?” about home and community-based care in a resounding voice:  “We Care!”

Care at home is essential to thousands of Ohioans, but awareness in the community is still not what it should be. The #WeCareOhio social media campaign is designed to gather and grow our voices along the central theme of making all aspects of home and community-based care more visible.

Starting November 1st, the beginning of National Care at Home Month, we hope you will post on social media about what care means to you! Be sure to tag your colleagues, coworkers, friends, and companies to encourage them to pick up the message and post something themselves. OCHCH is on LinkedIn and Facebook. Please consider posting on both platforms.

In your post:

1. State your name and something about you
2. Personalize a comment about care at home
3. Add @handles for 3 to 5 individuals or companies, encouraging them to post next
4. Important! Paste this at the end:   #Ohio #homecare #homehealth #hospice #nursing #healthcare #caregiver #CareAtHomeMonth #CareAtHome #WeCareOhio #WeCare
5. Add a selfie/photo/video of you. Include your team if you like but avoid patients for privacy concerns.

Example:  My name is Heather Smith, a veteran and home care agency owner, and I care! Our team at @CompanyHandle is devoted to our patients in #Cleveland! I’m tagging @company, @company, @person and @person to post next and show that #WeCareOhio!

#Ohio #homecare #homehealth #hospice #nursing #healthcare #caregiver #CareAtHomeMonth #CareAtHome #WeCareOhio #WeCare