Pediatric Services
At COR Health, we offer a variety of Pediatric Services, customized to meet the needs of each individual pediatric client. We take the time to assess varying factors, including age and medical diagnosis. COR Health works with pediatric clients and their families to determine a plan of care that is individualized to provide optimal outcomes.
Due to technological advances, Pediatric Services in the home setting has become a viable alternative to living in a health care facility. Children prefer to receive care in the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by their loved ones, and today COR Health may provide the support to attain that goal.
Each COR Health professional has extensive experience in the special challenges and rewards associated with pediatric home care.
For more than 10 years, we have been providing expert care to medically fragile children at home. COR Health’s focus has remained the same: to give the client the best care possible using a family centered approach.
Pediatric Home Care for Medically Fragile Children
COR Health provides highly qualified personnel include professionals skilled in specialty services such as:
- Tube Feeding Administration
- Seizure Monitoring
- Technology-Dependent - Ventilators, Bi-pap, C-pap, Trachs, Apnea Monitors
- Growth & Development
- School Services
COR Health employees offer a wide variety of services for all aspects of treatment and support, from skilled nursing care to specialized personal care and respite services to provide much-needed breaks for the family.
COR Health services are available based on the client’s needs – from care provided on an hourly basis to 24 hours a day and live-in options for individuals in need of additional assistance.
Behavioral Health
COR Health’s Rehabilitative Community Support Services are designed to improve the functional abilities of children under the age of 21 who have been negatively impacted by the effects of cognitive impairments and/or functional limitations. These services are funded by MaineCare and operate within the rules and regulations of Section 28. The child must meet certain eligibility requirements to receive services.
COR Health applies a positive, strengths based, team approach with a focus on continuous improvement, empowerment, and achievement. COR Health is committed to utilizing evidence-based practices, providing trauma informed services, and being a co-occurring capable program. Services are focused on skill building which includes behavior modification and management, social development, and acquisition and retention of developmentally age-appropriate skills to support the highest level of functional independence possible.
Targeted Case Management
Our Targeted Case Managers use a specialized approach when working with clients who have medical, behavioral, and/or cognitive diagnoses. Our services are geared to assist clients and their families in coordination between new and existing providers, services and supports. We use assessment tools that help identify needs and develop client-specific goals in the treatment plan.
Case management includes, but is not limited to:
- Providing advocacy
- Coordination of care and supporting the client when in need of addressing academic supports
- Obtaining community resources and/or programming
- Accessing durable medical equipment, supplies, and prescriptions
- Facilitating referrals
- Organizing adult-transitioning services to prepare individuals for their future
We operate in a nonjudgmental, strengths-based model and will collaborate with you and your child in their best interest. Our case managers are dedicated to ensuring you and your child are heard, advocated for, and supported.
Screening Caregivers
All caregivers at COR Health are thoroughly screened and are required to meet rigorous hiring criteria / successfully pass competency exams. Our caregivers are fully capable of providing professional care and COR Health offers affordable stay at home options for your loved one.
For your peace of mind and to protect your security, COR Health’s unique hiring criteria includes:
- Passing a written test and demonstration of competencies to perform skills
- Local and national criminal background check
- Validation of respective licenses
- Employer reference checks
- Sex Offender Registry Checks
- Office of the Inspector General Check
Pediatric Services FAQs
Families often reach COR Health during a hospital discharge, after a new diagnosis, or while learning how MaineCare works. These are the questions Maine families ask most about pediatric nursing, personal care, behavioral health and case management. Eligibility and approved hours depend on each child’s situation, so for an answer specific to your family, call 207-560-8699 or submit a referral form.
General
Generally, yes. These programs require MaineCare and a Maine-based physician. Out-of-state or reciprocal arrangements are rare and mostly limited to unusual case management situations. Read how to qualify for MaineCare pediatric home nursing.
It depends on staffing availability. A referral coordinator follows up about every 30 days while a family is waiting. COR Health also uses CORMatch, its in-house matching system, which prioritizes families with no current staffing over families who are already partly covered. To get started, submit a referral form.
Yes. Referral coordinators ask about additional needs on the very first call, so families often end up set up with more than one service. Learn more about pediatric nursing, behavioral health and targeted case management.
For nursing and case management, families can refer themselves. No physician or case manager referral is required to start the process. Use the referral form or contact us directly.
Yes. This is one of the most common misconceptions families have. If your current agency can staff only part of your approved hours, for example 20 of 100, COR Health can staff the remaining 80 as a second agency working alongside the first. Contact us to talk through your approved hours.
Pediatric Personal Care
No. Maine doesn’t currently have a state program that pays parents to serve as their own minor child’s PSS or CNA.
Pediatric Nursing
COR Health requests hours from the state based on your child’s needs. In most cases, a nurse has already been matched and has completed a meet-and-greet before the intake appointment, sometimes called the “open” appointment. At intake, the family reviews scheduling and what the nurse can and cannot do. For example, without approval, a nurse cannot transport a client. See what to expect in Pediatric Home Nursing in Maine.
Before a nurse starts, the family and nurse meet for about an hour so both sides get a first impression. Families can decline a match, and nurses can too. This is standard across home care agencies. COR Health also uses CORMatch, its in-house matching system, to help match nurses with families. Questions about a match? Contact us.
Background checks and license verification are standard across the industry. COR Health adds a full-day, in-person, hands-on skills orientation with an internal nurse coordinator, plus a structured new-graduate program. See how we screen caregivers.
It varies. Time with one family ranges from months to years, with no fixed standard. What stays more consistent is the nurse coordinator team behind the scenes: nine coordinators, several with 8 to 10 years at COR Health, which COR Health leadership credits for helping keep care steady at the nursing level. Learn more about pediatric nursing.
COR Health’s CORMatch system immediately returns any unstaffed hours to the referral queue, and clients with no coverage are prioritized. Every client in the system is reviewed at least once every 7 days, so no one gets lost in the shuffle. If you have a staffing concern, contact us or call 207-560-8699.
Yes. It is a common adjustment, especially for families new to nursing care. COR Health staff offer practical tips, like setting up a dedicated desk and chair for the nurse, and work through the adjustment period with the family. More on what to expect: Pediatric Home Nursing in Maine.
Private duty nursing means continuous, scheduled coverage, typically a 4 to 12 hour shift with the same nurse each week, not a brief periodic check-in. Read Private Duty Nursing for Children in Maine: How It Works and Who Qualifies.
No, you can leave. Many parents assume they need to be present the whole time, but the nurse is there so you are free to work, run errands, or attend to the rest of your family. Questions about scheduling? Contact us.
Yes. Nurses can accompany a child to school or daycare as part of their care. For children with ventilators or tracheostomies, see our guides to ventilator care at home and trach care at home.
Nursing care typically continues for clients who age out at 21, since the medical need does not stop at a birthday. This differs from pediatric case management, which ends at 21. COR Health works through transitional care with families. See targeted case management.
Behavioral Health
A pediatrician may recommend case management to help a family find and navigate behavioral health support. The behavioral health service itself is one-on-one, in-home skill teaching and community-based support, plus parent training, built around a custom treatment plan tied to specific goals. Learn more about behavioral health services.
It varies a great deal by client. Approved hours can range from about 12 to 30 hours a week. To discuss your child’s situation, contact us.
Not necessarily. The program is goal-based, working toward independence in areas like social skills, daily living, self-care and communication. When goals are met, clients are successfully discharged. Some clients do need longer-term or lifelong support. See behavioral health services.
Yes. A nurse and a Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) can work in the home at the same time, and case management can be added on top of both. Submit a referral form to ask about combining services.
Targeted Case Management
Case management is about linking, referring and connecting families to the resources and services they need. A case manager does not perform personal errands or tasks directly. Learn more about targeted case management.
Children from birth through age 20 qualify, with 21 as the cutoff. Services are funded through MaineCare (Medicaid). To check your child’s situation, submit a referral form.
Case managers begin transition planning around age 18, since Maine’s adult services waitlist is long. COR Health does not provide adult case management directly, but helps families move into the next system as smoothly as possible. See targeted case management.
COR Health places particular emphasis on medical case management, with strong coordination among durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, medical appointments and providers. Contact us to talk with the team.
Don’t see your question? Contact us, submit a referral form, call 207-560-8699, or email [email protected].