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Michael Oliver, home health and nursing informatics at Delmar Gardens Home Care
Photo provided by Delmar Gardens
NURSING PROGRAM: Diploma in nursing, Barnes Hospital School of Nursing; BSN, Webster University; MSN, Aspen University; DNP to be completed in 2025, Bradley University
AREA OF FOCUS: Home health and nursing informatics
YEARS OF SERVICE: 32
When recovering from a recent hospital stay, illness, injury or surgery, the best place for a patient to be is at the center of their care team’s efforts — and preferably in the comfort of their own home.
The specialized nursing teams who deliver in-home care have a unique set of skills and talents that allow them to meet the patient’s needs without access to many of the tools and resources they would have in a hospital setting. Sometimes these dedicated professionals need to engage in a more creative way to develop unique solutions for a particular patient — a challenge that can make the job even more rewarding, according to Michael Oliver, MSN, a registered nurse and director of information systems and education at Delmar Gardens Home Care.
In-home care
Though Delmar Gardens is widely known for its state-of-the-art skilled nursing centers, retirement and assisted living communities, the Chesterfield-based company also provides in-home skilled care and support services for patients who have been discharged from the hospital and need transitional help as they move toward healing and independence. In these situations, the company’s registered nurses and therapists collaborate with the patient’s doctors during the recovery period.
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“Many of our patients are strong enough to go home from the hospital but not strong enough to be alone, so we become the intermittent home care,” Oliver said. “We do home visits, skilled assessments and interventions, and then keep them on until they’ve healed.”
Oliver became intrigued with the nursing profession after growing up listening to stories his grandmother told about her experiences as a nurse. Her stories, rich with compassion and dedication, ignited his interest in caring for others, he said.
After receiving his diploma through the Barnes Hospital School of Nursing and becoming board certified as a registered nurse in 1992, Oliver spent the first decade of his career on the medical/surgical floor treating chronic conditions and infectious disease before joining the home healthcare field, where he has remained for the past 23 years.
“It was a move that I quickly discovered was ideal because of the unique and fulfilling aspects of this field. Home healthcare requires adaptability, as well as a deep understanding of an individual patient’s needs — challenges I embraced,” Oliver said. “I could monitor the impact of my care, and follow the patients until they were better and independent again, which was very rewarding.”
Transitioning to training
Today, Oliver focuses on supporting the Delmar Gardens Home Care staff of 50, particularly in the areas of training, technology and compliance. He guides new staff through their orientation and onboarding, helping them transition to the field.
“One of the most compelling aspects of home healthcare is its flexibility,” he said. “Clinicians enjoy a dynamic work-life balance, accommodating personal responsibilities. This flexibility is unparalleled and proudly valued by those in the field.”
And for the patient?
“It’s natural that most people would rather stay in their homes for care,” Oliver said. “They’re happier there, they have more control over their environment, which I feel is a vital component to the healing process.”
But there are challenges in the home healthcare setting, too.
“If you’re a diabetic, for example, and need food in a hospital, you can make a request and food appears immediately. In a home situation, we have to work with not only the patient but the family to ensure that they are following a healthy diet and have help preparing that meal. There’s just a lot of negotiation in which you have to partner with the family and find a situation that is doable in the real world.”
Higher education
Oliver, who completed his bachelor of science in 2016 and master of science in nursing informatics in 2021, is currently completing his doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) at Bradley University. His doctoral project: home healthcare focused on preventing patient falls in the home.
Just one more way in which Oliver puts his patients at the center of their care.