What is Home Healthcare?
Home healthcare refers to the medical care provided in a patient’s home. Home healthcare services are given by skilled medical professionals, including physical therapists, skilled nursing care, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and others.
Home healthcare services also include non-medical care such as assistance with daily living activities, medical social services. According to the Medicare program, home healthcare is described as a unique care setting not only because the care is provided in the comfort of the patient’s home but the provided care is usually less expensive, just as effective, and more convenient than care provided at a skilled nursing facility.
Achieve the Highest Quality of Life
Home healthcare aims at helping the patient achieve the highest quality of life possible. It helps increase independence, enables safety and security. It makes it easy for the family caregiver to manage the patient’s ongoing medical condition and also helps avoid unnecessary hospitalization.
Home care includes but is not limited to:
- Therapy and rehabilitative services
- Help with activities of daily living
- Assistance with safely managing tasks around the house
- Short or long term nursing care
Different Types of Home Healthcare
The home healthcare services a patient can receive at home depend on the individual patient’s need. It can vary from nursing care to specialized medical services. Your doctor will help determine your care plan and the services you may need at your home.
Different types of home health care services include:
Nursing Care
The most common form of home health care services is some type of nursing care depending on the patient’s medical condition. A registered nurse will set up the plan of care in consultation with the doctor.
Nursing care often includes wound care, intravenous therapy, ostomy care, monitoring the general health of the patient, administering medication, pain control, and other health support services.
Physical, Speech And Occupational Therapy
Some patients may need to relearn how to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) or may need help to improve their speech after an injury or illness.
A physical therapist will put together a plan of care to help the patient strengthen the use of muscles and joints.
An occupational therapist helps the patient with social, physical, emotional, and developmental disabilities to relearn how to perform ADLs such as bathing, dressing, eating, and more.
A speech therapist helps the patient with impaired speech to regain his ability to communicate clearly.
Medical Social Services
Medical social workers provide an array of services to the patient, including locating community resources, counseling and more to help the patient in his or her recovery. Some social workers also work as the patient’s case manager if the patient requires the coordination of different services.
Basic Assistance Care
Volunteer Care
Volunteers from the community can come forward to provide basic companionship and basic comfort to the patient. They can also help with personal care, emotional support, providing transportation, and helping with paperwork.
What to expect from Home Healthcare Service Providers?
Home healthcare service providers need a reference from the doctor to start care. Once the doctor refers the patient for home healthcare services, the agency will schedule a no-obligation appointment and come to you to discuss your needs and goals.
The professionals will also stay in touch with your doctor and update him about your progress. The home healthcare experts will see you as often the doctor recommends.
