A deep dive into Kline Galland’s Community Based Services program with Pam Swanborn
June 17, 2022 | Community Based Services, Kline Galland Staff, Resources
For nearly 15 years, Kline Galland’s Community Based Services (CBS) team has been providing one-to-one health care for seniors in their homes throughout Seattle. This team of over 140 outstanding Kline Galland employees serves over 400 individuals and is available to anyone living in the King County region.
To help people understand the program, and what type of care may be best for them, our Administrator of CBS Pam Swanborn answered some questions about the program:
Tell us more about Kline Galland’s CBS program.
Pam: The vision for CBS was to take Kline Galland’s commitment to exceptional senior care and bring it to individuals in the community. There are several different services within CBS, and they’ve come “on line” at different points over the past fifteen years. The first of these services was Private Duty Home Care, which was first initiated at the Mary Schwartz Summit in 2008. We’ve added different services over the years to try to create a full continuum of care within the Kline Galland System.
What are the different types of care available through CBS? Can you define them a bit?
Pam: Definitely, there are four key programs of Kline Galland’s CBS program:
- Home Care: Home Care refers to private duty, non-medical caregiving services. We have over 45 certified nursing assistants who can provide 1-on-1 care and offer a range of services from companionship to hands-on assistance with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, transferring and meal preparation. Home care provides the extra assistance an individual may need in order to safely stay in their home environment. Home Care services are private pay, or by some long term care insurance policies.
- Home Health: Home Health refers to skilled medical services, such as Nursing, Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapy, that are ordered by a physician following a stay at a hospital, rehab facility, or due to a change in condition. Clinicians come to your home to provide focused visits to monitor symptoms, provide education, and perform therapy sessions to maximize function and independence. These services are covered by your insurance.
- Hospice Care: Hospice Care is supportive care for individuals who are nearing end of life. Our team of nurses, social workers, chaplains, nurse practitioners, physicians, aides, massage therapist and volunteers are committed to meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families during this vulnerable time. They assure a patient is comfortable, and treated with dignity, respect, kindness and compassion by providing focused visits wherever an individual calls home. This could be in a private home, retirement center, nursing home, or adult family home.
- Palliative Care: Palliative Care is another form of comfort-focused care. Our model is a social work-driven model that works with individuals who have a life-limiting illness, but who may not yet be ready for hospice, either because they do not yet qualify, or they are still choosing to pursue curative treatment. Our social workers help patients and families cope with the challenges of their disease, identify supportive services, and help them clarify what is most important to them so goals of care are clear.
How have the offerings evolved over the years?
Pam: We’ve evolved over the years in several ways. We’ve launched new programs, increased the number of individuals we serve, and built our clinical expertise to serve those dealing with complex medical issues.
What’s next? Are there plans to continue expanding the program in the future?
Pam: We strive to always evaluate what services are needed in the community so we can continue to offer robust programs that enable individuals to maintain their dignity and independence in the setting they call home. One area of exploring telehealth and other areas of technology advances to see if these can offer additional benefits to our clients. Beyond that, slow and steady growth in all our programs is the goal so that the amazing care we provide can touch more lives.
How does someone know what type of care they need? Can CBS help determine that?
Pam: Speaking with your medical provider is always a great place to start the conversation about any of these services. That being said, absolutely, someone at CBS can help! Our liaison team members are excellent resources that can answer questions about our services, and help determine if a referral to any of our services is appropriate. In some cases, we can then reach out to your provider to request a referral.
How can someone get involved if they want to work for the CBS team?
Pam: You can see what job opportunities are open on the Kline Galland website by clicking on the “Careers” links. Our hospice program is also always adding new volunteers to the program. This could include 1-on-1 visits with hospice patients, or supporting our team with projects in the office. There is a link to our volunteer programs under the “Get Involved” tab on the website.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Pam: I am passionate about community-based care! It is an honor to be invited into someone’s home – whether that be their private residence or a facility where they reside – and it is the setting where care can be absolutely personalized to meet that individual’s needs. It has been such an honor to be part of Kline Galland CBS team for over 10 years. The commitment to quality care is always at the forefront, as is the dedication to our employees. This is what makes Kline Galland so special.
If you’d like to learn more about Kline Galland’s CBS, please visit www.klinegalland.org/care-options/community-based-services/ or call 206-725-8800.
