3rd Annual IHCNO Conference – Chicago, IL Conference Wrap-Up

 Here are the summary of the just concluded International Home Care Nursing Organizartion Conference. The fact that the African Regions are not putting home care in the forefront of their health sector tells the great gaps between its health care sector and that of the developed world. This only signifies the long way we have to go before achieving a Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In 2012 the WHO declared a Universal Health Coverage Day to be marked by every country in the world as a support and reminder to the Leaderships to ensure a universal Health Coverage for its citizens. Home care though poorly practiced here or is yet to get the attention of the Health Ministries African Countries will be and remain one of the most viable options toward achieving a Universal Health Coverage. This can be possible using the Social Enterprise model especially where there is no Universal Health Insurance programme and policies. Below is the summary from the IHCNO Conference 2015.

CHIGAGO, IL—The Third IHCNO conference was held in Chicago, IL, on July 8–10, 2015. The mission of the IHCNO is to “provide skillful caring for patients where they live and to develop and support a vibrant worldwide network of nurses who promote excellence in providing optimal health and well-being to patients living in their homes.”
This year’s conference theme was “Home Care: Providing Collaborative and Holistic Care.” Participants from 6 countries attended. Keynote presenters included international home care leaders Anne L. Rooney, Mary Ann Christopher, and Fong Yoke Hiong. Anne L. Rooney is President of Global Healthcare Consulting and presented the opening presentation, which highlighted demographic and other trends, such as aging around the world. Next, Mary Ann Christopher addressed models for care that are emerging and being implemented to better care for peoples across the globe. Fong Yoke Hiong, of Singapore, was the third plenary speaker and addressed comprehensive and holistic models of care for older adults in Singapore.
“Home Care Around the World” kicked off the official start of the conference with three countries representing their vision of what home care “looks like” in their countries. The countries represented in “Home Care Around the World” were 1) Nigeria, 2) the United States, and 3) Singapore. Numerous concurrent sessions included topics on various aspects of home care including “The Challenge of Developing a New In-Home Healthcare Service: A Global Perspective,”  “Environmental Health and Safety Hazards Encountered by Home Healthcare Providers,” “Publish or Perish (and Improve Practice),” Translating Evidence-Based Practice into Tangible Approaches for Home Health and Hospice Organizations”, “Home Visits: The Unit of Value in Collaborative and Holistic Care.” Other sessions included a pediatric focus, such as “A Multidisciplinary Pediatric Homecare Team-The Experience of a Children’s Hospital in Singapore,” a geriatric or aging care focus including, “Home Healthcare Nurse Interactions with Homebound Geriatric Patients with Depression and Disability,” as well as those sessions with a specific disease-specific topic, including “Caring for Homecare Patients with Co-Morbid Depression and Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for HHC Clinicians” and 14 more sessions. Poster Presentations and Exhibitors were also in attendance at this enthusiastic and mission-driven meeting.
Tina Marrelli, Nurse Founder of the IHCNO stated “It was wonderful to have the meeting in the city of Chicago—the UIC CON and this lovely city were great hosts to the participants and speakers as they all had time to enjoy the comradery of the group and the special environment of the CON and the environs. The feedback has been so very positive and we thank the UIC so much for all of their support and work to graciously co-host this event, which brings together home care nurse leaders from across the globe. I also particularly want to thank Associate Dean for Practice, Policy and Partnerships, Dr. Nancy Valentine and Dean Terri Weaver for taking time out of their busy roles to welcome and support, in innumerable ways, this conference.”
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