Stop Sepsis At Home

The Home Care Association of New York State (HCA) is a committed partner with state and national advocacy organizations, Sepsis Alliance and End Sepsis, who are leading the way to combat sepsis — a national public health crisis that is the number one cause of death in hospitals and number one cause of readmissions. HCA equips home care providers and clinicians to do their part to Stop Sepsis at Home.

Latest Developments

Sepsis In-Service Training for Home Health Aides, Personal Care Aides, & Paraprofessionals in Other Health Settings

Maternal Sepsis Module on Education, Prevention & Intervention

  • Sepsis is an inflammatory response to an infection that can be lethal.
  • Sepsis is a medical emergency. It can cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death. What is Sepsis? – End Sepsis
  • Older adults or people with weakened immune systems are most susceptible, but anyone can develop sepsis from an infection.
  • Treatment for sepsis usually includes antibiotics and large amounts of intravenous fluids. What is Sepsis? – End Sepsis
  • Mortality from sepsis increases 4-9% every hour that treatment is delayed. Sepsis Fact Sheet
  • Home care plays a vital role. It is estimated that 87% of sepsis cases originate at home and community. As many as 87% cases can be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment. Sepsis Fact Sheet
  • The population served by home care mirrors those at highest risk of developing sepsis. 

HCA Sepsis Screening & Intervention Tool 101: Everything You Need to Know

What It Is

  • The HCA Sepsis Tool is an assessment instrument created by an HCA clinical
    workgroup over a period of several years through research and medical guidance
    from top sepsis clinicians in NY and nationally. The Tool is created for use
    specifically by home care clinicians, but may also be used in other ambulatory and
    long term care settings. It is comprised of a screening tool instrument, an
    algorithm, standard protocol, and patient education zone tool.

Who Is Eligible

  • Any organization utilizing nurses or other qualified clinicians to perform the sepsis assessment using the HCA sepsis tool, and that provides services in home and community, or in an ambulatory or certain other residential/facility settings, may seek to incorporate the sepsis tool in its clinical practice. State associations and other multi-level organizations are also eligible to work with HCA to make the tool available to their affiliates.

 What You Need to Do

  • To use the sepsis tool, organizations must complete HCA-approved training and a sepsis tool user agreement (available upon request) attesting to the following requirements:
    • Completion of the training.
    • Use of the tool, algorithm, zone tool and protocol (a/k/a “related instruments) in the form and following the criteria provided.
    • If the tool is being incorporated into the agency’s EHR, assure that the EHR company attests that its incorporation or any other use of the tool is solely for your agency.
    • The tool and related instruments (except the zone tool) will not be shared with an entity that is does not have a user agreement with HCA).
    • The agency is willing to share its experience with HCA and other users. 

What We Do For You

  • HCA can assist you with the initial training. Training resources are available upon arrangement with HCA. Further foundational education is strongly recommended. 

What Happens At Launch 

  • Providers should adopt the tool and related instruments as part of its clinical policies and protocols.
  • Hold initial periodic “office hours” or other sessions for Q&A, and information sharing.
  • Notify partners (hospitals, MDs, EMS, health plans, area agencies on aging, mental health, etc.,) that you are using this the HCA sepsis tool. Consider media education and outreach.
  • Please share your data through the portal hosted by IPRO that has been specifically created for this HCA Sepsis Tool initiative. It helps support our mutual work in combatting sepsis.

How to Get Started

  • Contact HCA at sepsistool@hcanys.org to indicate interest and schedule a background discussion. HCA will gladly provide you with all of the necessary steps and education to incorporate the sepsis screening and intervention into your agency.

The following is a multi-level overview of our sepsis projects and collaboration with fellow home care experts, generously funded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

In conjunction with our special grant initiative, Improving Sepsis Prevention, Screening and Intervention in Community and Across the Continuum, HCA is pleased to make available this NEW video module for in-service education and training in early sepsis recognition and response for home health aides, personal care aides and similar personal care and health related assistants. This education and training is available without charge, and is supported by by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. 

Who is this New Aide-Level Training Module for?

The model is accessible online, 24-7, and on-demand by aides providing services in:

  • home health agencies
  • home care services agencies
  • hospices
  • managed long term care plans
  • consumer directed personal assistance programs
  • adult care and assisted living facilities
  • community mental and behavioral health care settings
  • nursing homes
  • veterans care facilities
  • other

How To Register:

Step 1. Register and watch the training video.

Step 2. Complete the in-service quiz.

This training should fulfill 1 hour of 6 hours of annual in-service requirement for personal care aides and 1 hour of the 12 hours of annual in-service requirement for home health aides.

IN-SERVICE QUIZ: This in-service quiz is a 10-question multiple choice test available on Survey Monkey. To receive a certificate of completion attendees should receive an 80% or higher. Attendees can take the quiz more than once.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: Once attendee’s register and watch the video, and score an 80% or higher in the in-service quiz a certificate of completion will be sent via email.

QUESTIONS: Please contact HCA at sepsistool@hcanys.org.

END SEPSIS partnered with HCA to implement a maternal sepsis education, prevention, and intervention initiative under a grant provided by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF) to END SEPSIS. HCA has worked with END SEPSIS and Rory’s parents, Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton, and with Sepsis Alliance, for the past decade to support sepsis prevention and intervention through home health and across the continuum.

Sepsis is currently the SECOND leading cause of maternal mortality, and likewise impacts infants and children, with threatening yet preventable results. 87% of sepsis cases originate in home and community settings.

Home care clinicians are expert educators, screeners, evaluators, interveners, and system navigators—critical in sepsis effectiveness. All provider types, health plans, nurse family partnership providers, and community partners can access these educational materials.

Sign up to view the training and accompanying maternal sepsis resource materials for patients and providers, mutually provided to you by HCA and End Sepsis through Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grants, here.

Check out End Sepsis’ list of resources here.

In 2011, Sepsis Alliance designated September as Sepsis Awareness Month. Every September, the home and health care community comes together to raise awareness of the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals – sepsis. It is the body’s life-threatening response to infection that affects 1.7 million people and takes 350,000 adult lives in the U.S. every year.

Senator Gustavo Rivera and New York Health Community Commend Governor Hochul For Proclaiming September as Sepsis Awareness Month in New York

Sepsis Awareness Month Proclamation
Governor Hochul proclaimed September 2023 as Sepsis Awareness Month on September 4, 2023.

Sepsis Awareness Month- Legislative Resolution & Educational Events 
The New York state Senate, at the request of HCA, has passed a legislative resolution memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim September 2023 as Sepsis Awareness Month in New York State. 

Watch HCA President Cardillo speak about sepsis on this New York State Office for the Aging webinar:

We’d love to hear from you.

Please email us at sepsistool@hcanys.org.