Sometimes, receiving home health care is easier on both patients and care givers than remaining in the hospital for a protracted period. Not all hospitals, no matter how standard they are, can regularly meet up with the demand of keeping convalescing patients on check. There are times when some patients are able to go home and do not need close monitoring.
Quick Facts About Home Health Care
These patients are allowed to go home and receive health care, provided by an hospital’s health workers – doctors, nurses, aides – in their homes. However, in some cases, there are patients who are allowed to go home because they are almost back to normal health. Some of them have to be moved to their houses where the intensive health care is provided, especially in cases where other patients with more serious conditions are present.
In this article, we will discuss the concept behind home health care. We will also understand reasons for the increase in demand for home health care in North Nashville by patients and doctors, the types of home health care there are, and the ones that may be available to you.
What is Home Health Care?
Home health care is a health and medical service provision that allows health care workers provide their and expertise in a patient’s home, instead of an hospital environment. Home health care is a program that reduces the accommodation pressure ion hospitals, and allow them to effectively rotate the available infrastructural resources among the patients that need them.
Ordinarily, there are more patients than there are health workers. Also, there are more patients than available space in hospitals. This necessitates the need to continue the care of some patients in their abode, thereby creating space for other patients who need to be closely monitored in the hospitals.
Many hospitals use different home health care agents to help their patients continue to receive quality health care. These agents provide services that range from wound dressing, to medical equipment monitoring, and even taking care of patients’ chores.
Types of Home Health Care
Some home health care agencies have detailed provision than others. This sometimes depends on the home health software they use. This means that there are home health care agencies that offer services that others do not. For instance, some may help in bringing patients’ meals to their houses, and other will rather cook for the patient in their house. Regardless of what extent one agent will go to make their patient comfortable, most home health care agencies offer the following types of care:
Doctor Care
This type of home health care involves a doctor visiting a patient at home in order to make diagnosis or carry out tests. With this type of service, a doctor can decide if it is okay to continue the patient’s treatment at home or, in serious conditions, transport them to the hospital.
Nursing Care
Nursing care is the most common type of home health care that patients request for. In this case, professional nurses consult with a patient’s doctor to ascertain the best care plan to aid the patient to recovery.
The nurses usually handle activities such as medication administration, wound dressing, monitoring the patient health, help in pain control, introduce intravenous medications, and so on.
Physical Therapy
Patients who need to relearn the use of certain muscle parts usually have the services of physiotherapists enlisted in this type of health home care. In some cases, the muscle part that needs rehabilitation is the jaw, to aid in speech therapy. In other cases, it could be the hands or legs.
However, there are times when the type of therapy need is emotional, as it affects relationships in the society or work place.
Home Health Aide Care
This type of home health care deals with basic home activities such as getting out of bed, using the toilet, bathing, making the bed, and dressing. It takes a special type of training for the professionals who offer this care to successfully help a patient. However, they are usually supervised by a nurse. This is a great option, for someone who would struggle to move out, and not settle in somewhere other than there own home. There are many great companies who specialise in home health care, whether you're specifically looking for care eastern suburbs or care in your location, search 'Home health care near me' to find the best options available.
Medical Social Services
When it comes to the patient’s case in order for review and report, this type of home health care caters to that. It is focused on providing counsel or locating an enabling community facility that may be of benefit to the patient’s road to recovery. They are usually the patient’s case manager, and they will normally handle many patients at a time.
Basic Assistance Care
Sometimes called homemakers, are the errand runners for the patient. They take care of house chores, grocery shopping, cooking, for the patient.
While there are many agencies for home health care, it is important that you choose the best and easily accessible agency that provide home health services in your locality.
Why Consider Home Health Care?
Not to sound inhumane, but it can get very depressing when one stays for extended periods in a hospital. Ordinarily, apart from the workers, there’s only a few people who will rather be in the hospital than in the comfort of their home. This is one of the reasons home health care is on the rise but there are other reasons. Check them out.
Less time in the hospital
The knowledge that you are leaving the hospital premises after a long stay, even when you are yet to fully recover is a joy. Sometimes, you may be required to drop in for check-ups in the hospital, but you go back to your home, your comfort.
Nearness to family and friends
The presence of family and friends, sometimes, makes the journey to recovery easier. They are there to support you and even partake in giving you care. This may speed the recovery process up.
Aids quick recovery
Being in your place of comfort helps you recover faster. The familiar ambience, laughter of friends and family, or even the smell of one of your favorite dishes can help you get better in no time.
Could be less costly compared to other care options
Despite your dislike for the hospital environment, you pay for every second you spend in the wards. However, you can cut that cost by being in your bed at home. Although you will have to pay for the services of the care givers, it doesn’t come close to the cot you will probably incur in some care homes and facilities.
Conclusion
Home health care is a growing sector of the healthcare industry. It relieves pressure on the hospital facilities and health care givers, allowing for better attention on in-house patients while patients who are at home have optimum care given to them.
As a patient, ensure that you have the best home health care agency in your area providing their service to you as the quality of service may affect your recovery.
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The content is intended to augment, not replace, information provided by your clinician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reading this information does not create or replace a doctor-patient relationship or consultation. If required, please contact your doctor or other health care provider to assist you in interpreting any of this information, or in applying the information to your individual needs.
