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History of Home Health

For centuries, home health has been provided in the home by the family.  Associated with the notions of comfort, compassion, and security, home health has provided healing for the sick, aboriginal health and disabled with the services like home medical equipments, medical supplies, edmonton medical supplies, original parts supply, health care equipment supplies, nurses and physicians, Health care providers, home care equipment, free medical supplies, lincare medical supplies, edgepark medical supplies.

Personalized care, warmth, and the overwhelming interest in improving the lives of the ailing and infirm has retained its appeal as a practical, necessary and family oriented alternative to institutional care.  The following is a brief timeline reflecting the history of home health.

1885-1889 - Origins of Home Store recognized.  During this time, most nurses’ workplace was in the home of their clients. This time was dominated by infectious diseases and high death rates, as well as great advances in the medical sciences and public health.

1900-1905 - Visiting nurses captured the interest of early 20th century reformers, who were concerned that the immigration, industrialization, and the infectious diseases of the poor were destroying life in their once cohesive cities.  Their brief visits aimed to care for the sick, teach family members how to care of the patient, and protect the public from the spread of disease through lessons in physical and moral hygiene.  Also during this time, live-in nurses came about.

1909 - Public Health nurses were sent into schools and homes of the poor to teach skills for health living.

1914-1920 - At its peak, the Red Cross had 2,100 visiting nurse programs across the country.  Metropolitan Life made visiting nurse services available to 90% of its 10.5 million policyholders, creating the first nationwide system of insurance payment for home-based care.

1925-1929 - Home-based nursing care reached a turning point.  Urban death rates were declining dramatically and infectious diseases were being replaced by chronic, degenerative diseases as the leading cause of death.

1930-1954 - The growing centrality of hospitals meant fewer patients were sick at home.  In 1952 Metropolitan Life terminated its visiting nursing program as the number of visits declined and the cost of service grew.

1955-1964 - As hospital costs raised the rebirth of home-based care gradually began as the issue of where patients should be cared for was once again addressed.  Home care developed into different types of services:  hospital-based home care, Medical Supplies Online, community-based home health services, and homemaker services.  Funding for these agencies varied.  With the growth in the number of chronically ill and disabled, severe strain was placed upon these agencies.

1970-1979 - Home care began to be seen by health policy planners as a cost-containment measure.