Home care offers high quality while saving the federal government and health insurers billions of health-care dollars

To the editor:

When you are sick, where would you rather be treated? Bets are you would prefer the security and comfort of your own bed in your own home. More than 11 million Americans agree with you, which is why we are celebrating National Home Care Month in November.

Home care saves the U.S. and commercial health insurers billions of health-care dollars each year. There is no more cost-effective provider of health care in our country.

When someone is struggling with a disability, dealing with a chronic or terminal illness or recovering from a recent hospital stay, home-care professionals have the answer.

Modern home care has all the bells and whistles of hospital care, with the exception of surgery. Patients can receive everything from chemotherapy to shampoos.

Home-care providers work diligently to keep Americans in their homes, where they belong.

It is tragic that 47 million Americans are uninsured. Current long-term care policies are insignificant compared with the need, particularly when most of these policies pay minimal amounts toward nursing home care and less for home care, if they cover it at all.

The fundamental domestic issue: How will we provide high-quality long-term care?

The answer is home care and hospice, which combines care, compassion and cost effectiveness.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, please remember the home care and hospice professionals who make a difference every day for our seniors and people with disabilities. They make it possible for home care to be where the healing begins.

REGINA E. TUCKER, Director of Marketing and Development, SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, Cape Girardeau