Story County public-health and home-health programs report growth in clinics and services

Eric Adelman, director for Mary Gley Home Health and Story County Public Health, briefed supervisors on home-health, hospice and public-health programming and trends.

Adelman said home-health and homemaker services served 295 Story County residents last year and that annual surveys show 95% of homemaker clients said they could not remain at home without those services. He said the agency has added telehealth visits and provides in-home skilled nursing, therapy services and one-time transition-of-care visits for people recently hospitalized with high-risk diagnoses.

On hospice, Adelman said the Israel Family Hospice House closed in December and that the agency has been coordinating inpatient support with Mary Gley Hospital and contracted beds at Boone County Hospital and Bethany Manor. The bereavement program served 175 Story County residents last year and provides caregiver support groups and community education.

Public-health programming included senior health clinics that served more than 1,000 people across rural Story County, immunization clinics that served over 400 people last year, and roughly 60 disease investigations. The public-health team also publicized the Make It Okay mental-health program, started a Pick A Better Snack program in elementary schools, and helped place stop-the-bleed kits in schools and on school buses.

Adelman acknowledged staffing pressures and the hospice-house closure as challenges but said staff remain committed to community-based care. Supervisors thanked staff and said they expect further Board of Health reporting as state system-alignment changes proceed.