More than 130 employees attend the 4th annual Bayada Day at the capitol rotunda

PHILADELPHIA, PA, April 13 – Bayada Nurses employees from across Pennsylvania united on the steps of the capitol’s main rotunda in Harrisburg on Tuesday, April 12, and met with legislators to advocate on behalf of their home health care clients. Their message was clear: home health care is cost-effective and preferred by those in need of care, and investing in home health care saves money for the Commonwealth. The 4th Annual Bayada Nurses Day celebration included over 120 visits with legislators and a press event. Speakers included Senator Patricia Vance—District 31, Representative Jennifer Mann—District 132, three family caregivers, and Bayada Nurses Founder and President Mark Baiada.

“More than 5,300 Pennsylvanians are able to remain safe at home because of the vital, in-home care coordinated by 4,700 Bayada nurses, home health aides, therapists, and office staff,” said Baiada. “To provide quality care for our clients and support their quality of life, we must make sure that in-home care remains an accessible, viable, and growing part of the long-term care system in Pennsylvania.”

Pennsylvania’s long-term care policies reflect a bias toward more costly institutional care. According to the 2011-12 Governor’s Executive Budget, the average cost to care for someone in a Medicaid nursing home is $63,252 while the cost to care for someone at home through the Aging Waiver Program is $20,064. Therefore, the Commonwealth saves $43,188 to care for someone with the same level of financial need and clinical eligibility in their own home.

“Home health care significantly improves the quality of life of the clients, keeps more people employed in the health care industry, and saves taxpayers money,” said Anita Weinberg, DSW, director of government affairs for Bayada Nurses in Pennsylvania. “We look forward to continuing our work with the legislature and the executive branch to make home health care more accessible to people throughout Pennsylvania who need it.”

Founded in 1975, Bayada Nurses provides nursing, rehabilitative, therapeutic, hospice, and personal home health care services to children, adults, and seniors in the comfort of their own homes. Over 13,000 nurses, home health aides, and therapists work from more than 180 offices in 18 states. For more information about Bayada Nurses, visit www.bayada.com or www.youtube.com/bayadanurses.