About National Home Care Month & National Hospice Month

Each November, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) celebrates National Home Care Month, National Hospice Month, and Home Care Aide Week to honor health care administrators, nurses, clinicians, therapists, aides, homemakers, chore workers, and companions who make a remarkable difference in the lives of patients and their families.

"Helping frail, disabled and dying Americans to stay independent and happy in their homes is our goal," said Val J. Halamandaris, president of NAHC. "Home care professionals and volunteers, along with modern medicine and technology, make it possible for sick citizens to be cared for in their homes where they can be surrounded by loved ones and precious mementoes as they live their best quality of life."

NAHC develops themes for National Home Care Month and National Hospice Month each year to exemplify the high regard we hold for home care and hospice professionals and the special relationships that they maintain with patients and their family members.

The themes for November 2009 are:

• Home Care: "Love in Action"; ( Posters available for download )
• Hospice: "Great Care at Last"; ( Posters available for download )
• Home Care Aide Week: "Loving Hands and Compassionate Hearts"

Each campaign is celebrated through local and national festivities, advertising, and public relations activities. In addition, NAHC member agencies around the country invite local celebrities - from lawmakers to prominent citizens - to visit homebound patients as part of their National Home Care Month and National Hospice Month celebrations.

The second full week in November (November 9 - 15^th) is marked as an occasion to celebrate the important contribution that home care aides make in providing personal care services to home care patients. The role of the home care aide is integral to providing care to elderly or disabled clients who need more extensive personal and home care than family or friends can provide. NAHC joins the home care industry in applauding its home care aides and their commitment to providing quality and compassionate care.

There are many reasons to support the good work of home care and hospice providers during November. Home health care is regarded as the most viable solution for providing long-term care to this country’s growing elderly population. Hospice is one of the fastest growing segments of the health care industry because people acknowledge that the care and compassion that hospice professionals provide their patients is second to none.

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice and its affiliates join the home care industry in applauding its home care aides and their commitment to providing quality care to the patients and families they serve.