Home health care is sometimes misunderstood. We thought it would be helpful to share some facts about home health care from Medicare.
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Home health care is a wide range of health care services that can be given in your home for an illness or injury. Home health care is usually less expensive, more convenient, and just as effective as care you get in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF). 
Examples of skilled home health services include:

• Wound care for pressure sores or a surgical wound
• Patient and caregiver education
• Intravenous or nutrition therapy
• Injections
• Monitoring serious illness and unstable health status

In general, the goal of home health care is to treat an illness or injury. Home health care helps you:

• Get better
• Regain your independence
• Become as self-sufficient as possible
• Maintain your current condition or level of function
• Slow decline

If you get your Medicare benefits through a Medicare health plan, check with your plan to find out how it gives your Medicare-covered home health benefits.  
If you have a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy or other health insurance coverage, tell your doctor or other health care provider so your bills get paid correctly.
If your doctor or referring health care provider decides you need home health care, they should give you a list of agencies that serve your area. They must tell you whether their organization has a financial interest in any agency listed.  
What should I expect from my home health care?

• Doctor’s orders are needed to start care. Once your doctor refers you for home health services, the home health agency will schedule an appointment and come to your home to talk to you about your needs and ask you some questions about your health.
• The home health agency staff will also talk to your doctor about your care and keep your doctor updated about your progress.
• It’s important that home health staff see you as often as the doctor ordered.

Examples of what the home health staff should do:

• Check what you’re eating and drinking.
• Check your blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and breathing.
• Check that you’re taking your prescription and other drugs and any treatments correctly.
• Ask if you’re having pain.
• Check your safety in the home.
• Teach you about your care so you can take care of yourself.
• Coordinate your care. This means they must communicate regularly with you, your doctor, and anyone else who gives you care.

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We're choosing to send this strange, strange year of 2022 out on a positive note.

And in a lot of ways, it was a really positive year for us here at Next Level Nursing Solutions, LLC! Our strength derives from our people, and we truly appreciate every one of you who are a part of Next Level. Thank YOU for making 2022 good in so many ways!

We settled into our wonderful new space in 2022, in downtown Emporia at 606 Commercial St. If you haven't already stopped in to see us--put that on your list for the new year! The space is a work in progress as our business continues to grow and adapt, and we've seen some things this year!

We've also made some wonderful memories here as we strive to make our surroundings reflect our philosophy and our mission:
Here at Next Level, we bring family and work together. With our strong support of family life, we ensure our employees can be dedicated to both their job and personal life by providing a flexible schedule and competitive pay to meet their needs. With no distractions of missing special moments with family comes improved work ethic, morale, and better quality of care to our patients.​

Owned and operated by a Registered Nurse who understands all sides of staffing, Next Level's high standards ensure professionalism, compassionate care, and teamwork in every workplace. We guarantee superior nursing care within your budget.

Not only that, we opened a branch office in Topeka this year--and Next Level Nursing was named the "Best of Emporia" for 2022! Enjoy a quick little "photo stroll" of some of our 2022 high points!

Wishing you all a bright, beautiful New Year filled with hope and prosperity!
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From all of us here at Next Level Nursing Solutions to all of you--our clients, our patients, our families, and our friends--we wish you the very Merriest Christmas and a bright, bountiful New Year!

The holidays can be rushed and busy, and too many times we get caught up in details that allow us to forget the true reason we celebrate. I hope you can step back, take a deep breath, and let the real spirit of Christmas in. 
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One of our nurses recently experienced a devastating house fire; everything was lost. If you can help, her immediate needs concern her children:
Levi, 8 years old (size 8/10 )
Courtney, 15 years old (size L) Size 12 pants, lg shirt, shoe 8.5
Brandon, 18 years old (size L) 34/30 pants, med/large shirts, shoe 9.5
MOM: Size 14 pants, XL shirts, XL Scrubs, shoe 9.5

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We will be accepting any donations, if you are able to give, starting today. Contact us here at Next Level Nursing at 620-794-1338, email info@nextlevelnursingsolutions.com, or drop your donations by our office at 606 Commercial St. in downtown Emporia, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. There will also be weekend availability, too–please contact us for instructions.

​Once again, wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas.

​Keeping our priorities straight. That’s what we’re all about here at Next Level Nursing Solutions. 

​Because we strongly support family life, we ensure our employees can engage in both their jobs and their personal lives by providing flexible schedules and competitive pay. And because Next Level employees are not distracted by family and life concerns, they bring their “A-Game” to work every day, which translates to a strong work ethic, high morale, and better quality of care for all our patients.

Does this sound like a work environment that would be fulfilling for you? We’re currently hiring for both temporary and permanent CMA, CNA, LPN, and RN positions.

Contact us at 620-794-1338 or email me, Misty Gardner, RN and CEO of Next Level Nursing Solutions, at misty@nextlevelnursingsolutions.com. 

You can apply right on our website at https://www.nextlevelnursingsolutions.com/careers.html or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nextlevelnursingsolutions.

All of us here at Next Level Nursing Solutions, LLC wish all of you the Merriest of Christmases and a fulfilling and successful New Year!

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All of us here at Next Level Nursing Solutions are excited to welcome our newest team member, Elena Smith! Find out more about Elena, our Human Resources Director, below!

Hi, I’m Elena Smith, from right here in Emporia. I have an AS degree in Business Administration. I’m excited about my journey and thrilled to be a part of the Next Level Nursing Solutions agency!
I’ve worked in the healthcare industry and service to the community for 16 years. My kids, Elexsa and Keenan, are my world! I enjoy and am involved with our local Special Olympics team, enjoy being outdoors, cooking, and empowering others!

The holidays can be hard for those with chronic or age-related illness. And holidays are hard for friends and family members, too. Following are some ways to make a merrier Christmas.

If your family traditions involve travel or other activities that are too strenuous for your loved one, consider creating new traditions that everyone can participate in. Baking, easy decorating activities, holiday crafts, and having friends and neighbors drop in for small gatherings can be simple and effective ways to bring manageable holiday spirit to your loved one. These types of festivities are also great ways to involve grandchildren as well.

Check with staff if your loved one resides in an assisted living community to see if they are hosting any holiday activities. Even when family is nearby, many caregivers encourage elders who live in senior housing to participate in onsite activities to alleviate the stress involved in attending family gatherings. Leaving the familiarity of senior housing can be very disorienting for seniors who are living with progressing cognitive decline. Instead, arrange for family to visit or accompany your elder to the facility’s event(s) as part of your new holiday traditions together.

The holidays can trigger feelings of depression, so it's important to focus on how the holiday season can bring memories of happier times. Activities like watching home movies together or looking through old pictures can be a nice way to remember those times and help alleviate feelings of loneliness in an ill or aging loved one. Reminiscing can be an enjoyable activity for everyone and a valuable way of sharing memories and family history with younger generations.

If an ill or aging loved one lives far away, or if an in-person visit truly doesn’t seem possible this year, make sure you plan ahead to ensure they will not be spending the holidays alone. If your loved one is living on their own, try to see if one of their neighbors might be able to visit with them.

This might also be the time to consider hiring in-home care, even if the arrangement is only temporary. If your loved one will be alone this season, look for a reputable agency that provides professional caregivers who are specially trained to meet all of your loved one’s needs with compassion and dignity. Most agencies can accommodate either shorter visits or extended stays, and some can also provide aides to safely escort an adult to celebrations and family gatherings during the holidays. Look for a professional caregiver who is a good fit for your loved one, both personality-wise and in terms of their training and professional skills. The right caregiver will be able to assist with activities of daily living and provide companionship, activities, and emotional support.

Holiday traditions and activities can be adapted in countless ways, with flexibility being the key. The most important thing is for your loved ones to know that you are thinking about them and that you are committed to helping them feel included in the season's festivities.

This holiday season, we’d like to bring holiday cheer to those in need. To celebrate our new location at 606 Commercial Street in downtown Emporia, we’re starting a new holiday tradition: Trees of Grace. We’re asking local organizations like yours to decorate a holiday tree with “take-away ornaments” so that the public can provide a holiday gift relevant to the recipients that your organization serves.

For example, you might want to have a mitten tree, requesting warm gloves and mittens for children or adults. Perhaps you’d like to have a book tree, requesting children’s books, or a canned good tree, requesting non-perishable food items.

The trees are going up on display at Next Level Nursing now and will remain until the week after Christmas. Help us make it simple for Emporians to show their compassion and share a little holiday joy with the people your organization serves.

​Because we only have space for a limited number of trees, please reserve your spot right away! Contact us at 620-794-1338 or misty@nextlevelnursingsolutions.com.

"I have lots of sweat and tears that I pour into my business 24/7. Sometimes reminding myself why I’m doing this and getting out of my own head contributes to the biggest successes. But it’s the little moments like this that mean the most!!!"
--Misty Gardner, RN -- Owner of Next Level Nursing Solutions

Next Level Nursing Solutions, LLC has been selected for the 2022 Best of Emporia Award in the Nursing Agency category by the Emporia Award Program. Owned and operated by a Registered Nurse who understands all sides of staffing, Next Level's high standards ensure professionalism, compassionate care, and teamwork in every workplace.

​The agency’s second location in Topeka, Kan. opened in August 2022.