Reasons Home Health Care Is Important

Source

In the US, there are approximately 16,000 nursing homes that house elderly and those in need of assistance. Despite their ubiquity, many people still prefer home care over the care at the assisted facilities, retirement communities, or nursing homes. 

Leaving home is often mentally and physically overwhelming. That’s the reason why people often prefer to get all their caregiving services at home instead of relocating to a health facility. 

Home care is increasingly making inroads into the market for elderly care, with more and more families and individuals preferring it over other care options. 

Home care services incorporate a wider gamut of services, from basic housekeeping and home companion services Tucson to extensive nursing care and more. 

The following are the numerous benefits of home care:

Allows for at-home professional care 

For the elderly, the biggest benefit home care holds is that it allows them time among their loved ones. In home care, you can get professional nursing care as well as professional housekeeping. 

As home care requires a bond of respect between patient and care provider, you can also handpick your own home-care provider. If you need professional medical assistance, you can choose between either a graduate nurse or a qualified master’s nurse.

Nurses, too, need good teachers to instill in them the Hippocratic values and responsibilities of care. The answer to why get a masters in nursing education is that you can become an educator to other nurses who are aspiring to become a part of the noble nursing profession. 

Faster hospital discharge 

Having care at home means that your care providers at the hospital can confidently give you early clearance from the hospital. If your at-home care nurse is a member of the staff at the hospital, she can better communicate your case with the doctors. 

Similarly, the nurse can also facilitate your access to other services that you might need for your condition, i.e., therapy, counseling, and other caregiving-related services.

Better health 

We need better care and nutritious diet as we age. Keep a close eye on whether the caregiver are following through with the doctor’s instructions. 

After coordinating with the care providers, get recommended diet charts for the aging patient. Make sure your aging loved one is taking proper exercise and has ample time throughout the day to interact with those of the family around them. 

Hospitals or care facilities, despite offering the best services when it comes to assisted living or medical care, cannot provide the kind of peace of mind you get when you have at-home care available for your senior. 

Care at many establishments has become more commercialized. Since they’re in the business of providing care to thousands of other patients, they’re entirely justified in their cookie-cutter approach toward elderly care. 

On the other hand, in a home healthcare settings, the care provider has one patient to look after and because their attention is undivided in providing the best care, the patient can expect a speedier recovery. 

Home care enhances a patient’s ability to walk and get in and out of bed. With time, home care also reduces symptoms like shortness of breath and the need for urgent care and unplanned services. 

Provides companionship 

Hospitals can provide you with the best medical procedures and medications whenever you require them. But they can do nothing to provide companionship. 

When in the later stages of life, loved ones tend to miss the little joys of conversations and friendships. This late-life realizations often bring with it bouts of loneliness and depression. At their age, they need someone to talk to and share their feelings with. 

Home care can provide the patient with such companionships as the care provider lives and cares for the patient throughout the day. Studies also show that home care often positively impacts the patients’ mental health and well-being. 

On-time drug administration

Administration of proper dosages can help with a speedier recovery. It is often difficult for a layman to keep tabs over all the prescription drugs, administering schedules, or the dosages required. A professional at-home nurse, who knows about pharmaceutical drugs and their applications, can be of great help, as they can ensure proper adherence to schedules and dosages. 

Since the process of administering drugs doesn’t need to be sped up, as is often the case in healthcare facilities, the nurse can be more accurate with her measurements. 

At-home nurses can also help with emergency procedures and drug administration through an intravenous, enema, intramuscular, and intradermal injections. 

Peace of mind

The greatest benefit that home care provides is the peace of mind that comes with it. You don’t have to send your senior to a nursing home or assisted facility—they can stay right there, infront of your eyes. 

You can make sure they get the best food, medication, physical exercise, and care. The peace of mind that this realization brings is priceless. Home care guarantees personalized care, and the nurse can develop the care plan according to the mental and physical requirements of your loved one. 

Other types of care providers help with household chores 

If your senior lives alone, a home care service provider can help them with cleaning, cooking, laundry, vacuuming, dishes, or any other chores in and outside the house. 

Conclusion

Home care is more hands-on and dedicated. All care plans in home care are personalized and offer the right type of care, down the administration of drugs on proper schedules and in required dosages. Home care, however, isn’t only restricted to nursing or medical care. Some home care providers can help you or your loved ones with the household chores.