BANGOR – Mary Bell, 62, lives modestly in a small apartment in one of the city’s historic mansions. Most of her family, including four children and five grandchildren, live in the Midwest, where she spent much of her life. Bell hopes to visit them again soon, but admits the events of Sept. 11, 2001, have made her a bit skittish about the plane ticket her children have offered to buy her.

In the meantime, she goes shopping on Saturday mornings, attends church and local church dinners and copes successfully with diabetes and other health issues in large part due to the nationally recognized services provided by Community Health and Counseling Services Home Health and Hospice.

CHCS Home Health and Hospice recently underwent a Medicare recertification survey by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Division of Licensing and Certification. The CHCS program received a number of commendations for its efforts, including an exemplary ranking for its training and development program.

“There are regular, ongoing trainings all the time,” said Sharon Knapp a community health nurse who visits Bell regularly. “There’s a lot of good training available, every type of training from IV to wound care. There’s also a lot of training going on with dealing with paperwork. Some people tend to get overwhelmed by it.”

The training is complemented by ample opportunity for nurses to influence elements of home health treatment plans.

“They’re very open to suggestions,” Knapp said, “like different approaches to doing something related to home health care to make it easier. One example might be with wound care, where you might suggest different products – for example a different type of tape that’s better for the patient.”

Bell is grateful for her relationship with CHCS, both the professional nature of the home health services and the friendly faces who come to visit.

“I’ve been receiving services from CHCS for the last four or five years,” said Bell. “The nurses have all been wonderful, and they all seem to like me.”

Knapp, a third-generation nurse, has been working with Bell for the past year and a half, filling pillboxes, taking her blood pressure and checking her blood-sugar level, among other duties.

“She and I kind of relate to each other,” Bell said. “Sharon has become a good friend. She just had a baby, and I’m so happy for her.”

Knapp also is happy that she can help Bell, whether providing medical attention or friendly conversation. Both are important elements of high-quality home care.

“It’s very important to listen to your patients,” Knapp said. “They can give you a lot of clues as to what they need.”

Bell agrees that her treatment team of primary care physicians and dedicated home health professionals have helped her deal with her health issues.

“I’m in much better shape than I was a couple of years ago,” she said, “and the nurses at CHCS have really helped stabilize me.”

It’s not a surprise to clients like Mary Bell that CHCS received such high marks on the recent Hospice state licensure Medicare recertification. CHCS staffers believe it’s just as important to receive high marks from clients and their families.

As Bell points out when asked what home care means to her, “It means my life. I wouldn’t be here right now without the services I receive from CHCS in my home.”

Diane Nelson is manager of community relations at Community Health and Counseling Services. For information on CHCS programs, call 947-0366.