Home care nursing including hospice care has experienced major changes since the last edition of this comprehensive handbook for home care administrators was published in 1997. For example as the 65 and older population in this country continues to rapidly increase, the mandate for home care agencies by the government and private insurers has been to provide increased, quality, cost-effective services for these individuals iin the home.
     This transition of healthcare delivery from acute care hospitals to home care is not limited to the elderly. Advances in technology and more healthcare professionals moving into this dynamic specialty are just two changes that have helped homecare administrators begin to meet this goal, albeit marginally in many cases. The learning curve to meet these challenges is steep and quality resources, such as the Handbook of Home Health Care Administration, Fourth Edition, is a must-have addition to every home care agency."
Blue Chip Reference
"In the midst of all these changes, Marilyn D. Harris, MSN, RN, CNAA, BC, FAAN, has once again stepped up to the plate and hit a home run, succinctly extolled Ruth Constant, EdD, MSM, RN, CHCE, FHHC, chairman of the board of directors, National Association for Home Care, Washington, DC. In the handbook's foreword she commended the book's editor for "pulling together the movers and shakers of home care and hospice...Harris has pulled together a blue-chip reference source, not only for administrators and clinical educators, but also for accountants, lawyers and consultants, to name a few," concluded the chairman.
    It's interesting to point out Harris' intent with the book, from the beginning, was to ensure that is was a practical guide for home care administrators, educators, and clinicians—one that they used on a daily basis, not just one pulled down from the shelf before an inspection or accreditation visit. To this end, the home care pioneer gained permission to use the results of a study conducted by Scalzi and Wilson (1990, 1991) that identified the activities of home care administrators and the amount of time they spent in each of these areas. For example, the executives reported that they needed more information in legal, healthcare policy, financial and marketing strategies. From this research, Harris then went about planning the content and choosing the best sources who could deliver clear, relevant, current material with a wealth of examples gained from practice.
     I have known Harris for over 10 years and have been in awe of her organization, energy and dedication to nurses and nursing. This book, a standard of excellence for home care nursing for the present and future, is a worthy tribute to this leader's contributions over the years.

—Kay Bensing, MA, RN
Senior Staff Writer
ADVANCE for Nurses
(This article has been reprinted with permission from Advance Newsmagazines.)