Record Enterprise

Live Free Home Health Care is all about living free with dignity

By KERRY L. NORLIN August 24, 2006

NEW HAMPTON – Live Free Home Health Care, LLC, is a newly established medical home health care agency serving the Bristol Lake and Pemi-Baker Valley Regions, Waterville Valley and parts of the Lakes Region. Jason and Jennifer Harvey, co-administrators and owners of Live Free Home Health Care, are passionate about their work and devoted to providing area residents a diversified and complete home care service that fosters independence and dignity.

“It started with an idea that quality of life and health is best served at home and folks from New Hampshire have a sense of independence ingrained in them,” explained Jason. “We are a home health care agency, that is what we do; what we provide is independence and dignity to our patients.”

As part of their humanitarian-based endeavor, Live Free Home Health Care and their team of skilled nurses, licensed nursing assistants and homemakers offer IV therapy, home health aides, homemaker services, medication and diabetes management, blood draws, private duty professional nursing, pediatric skilled home care, transportation and errands. They also provide respite care to serve family members and caregivers who need a break, which can be individualized using their half day, full day, bed & breakfast and vacation plans. A registered nurse is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Case management is another offering. This service arranges for a registered nurse to accompany patients to their doctor’s visit to ensure their needs are being met and their questions answered. The RN will also review treatment plans with the patient as well as with family members and the patient’s doctor.

Another important service is block staffing, nursing care provided in the home for as little as two hours per day up to 24 hour coverage. Medicare only covers diagnosis-related short term home health care and Medicaid covers block staffing only if a child requires such care, but Live Free Home Health Care is dedicated to providing block staffing, as they believe it as the single most important service that will allow patients to remain at home and out of nursing and assisted living facilities. Family member caregivers cannot always be there to care for their home-bound loved one, but are also unwilling to relinquish their loved one to a nursing home. Block staffing not only makes it possible for the patient to remain at home, but it also allows their caregivers to provide care when they can and still maintain a normal lifestyle. Furthermore, block staffing is a less expensive alternative to a nursing home.

Jennifer and Jason married in 1998 as students at Southern Illinois University. Jennifer graduated in 1999 with a B.S. in nursing and brings over eight years of nursing experience including working in the surgical and cardiac care unit of an Illinois hospital. Since their move to New Hampshire six years ago, she has worked in a physician’s practice and most recently for a home care agency in Laconia. Despite completing his degree in political science, Jason pursued a growing interest in finance and investments. He has subsequently worked for Fidelity, Fleet and most recently as assistant vice president with the Global Wealth and Investment Management group at Bank of America, bringing over eight years of experience in business finance.

The pair found a perfect marriage for their unique talents with the new agency – Jennifer, RN and BSN, as director of patient services and Jason as business and finance manager. Perhaps more important than their professional experience is the vitality, enthusiasm and commitment they bring to the enterprise. They are eager to make a difference not only in the lives of their patients but also in the lives of their staff.

“We appreciate and respect our caregivers. Nursing can be a thankless job. We want our caregivers to truly feel they make a difference, because they do,” said Jason.

“We are very careful who we hire. We conduct thorough background checks and everyone is required to participate in an orientation program and observation period to insure they have the competency and skill to work with patients in their homes,” explained Jennifer. Reconfirming her husband’s conviction, she said, “We want our staff to feel just as appreciated as our patients, and we want their ideas and their feedback.”Live Free Home Health Care accepts private pay, select Medicaid plans, and will work with private insurance companies and long term care insurance policies for reimbursement. They are fully insured as a home health care agency and licensed by the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services. To find out more about their services or to discuss your needs, call 346-4214 or 888-346-4214. You can also visit their website at livefreehomehealthcare.com.