To the Editor:

The honorable Gov. Beverly Perdue of North Carolina proclaimed November, 2009 as Home Health and Hospice Month.

This proclamation is to recognize all of the dedicated workers in home health, home care and hospice agencies across the state.

Workers in these agencies see patients in their homes or place or residence to serve as a liaison between the patients and their physicians.

This type of service permits patients to remain in their own homes instead of being placed in a facility for their care or having to be transported to their physician for medical care each time that is needed.

Health care workers of this type are not limited to hours that the physician office is open. These workers are usually available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. They are on call for their patients when a need arises.

By working closely with their patients and their families, they become a familiar face and someone that the patients learn they can trust and feel comfortable with their care.

These health care workers go about their daily tasks without asking for recognition for the excellent work they do each day. Their rewards are the smiles they get from their patients and the knowledge that they made someones day a little more comfortable and a little less stressful.

They instruct families how to care for their family members in the home so they can be independent in the care when needed. They are there at end of life situations for comfort and compassion for the patient and their families.

This type of profession is not one you close the door on when you walk out of the office. They take their patients home with them in their minds and hearts at night reviewing the care they gave during the day and planning for the care the next day.

The rewards in this type of profession far outweigh the financial reimbursement they receive for a days work.

Becky Gorecki, Rn Nursing Supervisor, Rutherford, Polk, McDowell Home Health