What’s Considered Home Health Care?
Doctor care
In some cases following a serious illness or injury a patient may become temporarily or indefinitely bed bound. The patient’s doctor will be able to make home visits to diagnose or treat the individual.
Nursing care
Long-term nursing or home-based skilled nursing care is provided for senior citizens who have a disability or are in need of medical care due to a chronic condition. After consulting with a doctor, a registered nurse will work with both patient and doctor to put together a personalized care plan that best fits the patient’s needs. RN’s (registered nurses) or LPN’s (licensed practical nurses) are the professionals that will provide this type of care along with assisting patients with basic tasks. Nursing care may include but is not limited to wound dressing, ostomy care, intravenous therapy, administering medication, monitoring the general health of the patient, pain control, and other health support like trimming nails, assisting with bathing, caring for patients who have a catheter, tracheostomy, or colostomy. Care for diseases and conditions such as Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Spinal cord injury (SCI), ALS, MS, Ventilator care and Tracheostomy care. Nurses may also assist in educating the family and patient in various basic care procedures creating more independence for the patient at home.
Physical, Occupational, and/or Speech Therapy
Occupational/Physical/Speech Therapy- Sometimes after a serious injury or illness a patient may have to go through the process of relearning day to day duties and or speech. A physical therapist will develop a plan to strengthen or regain the use of certain muscles and joints in an effort to get the patient as close to independence as physically possible. Oftentimes an Occupational therapist may work closely with a physical therapist depending on the patients needs. Occupational therapists, commonly serve as a supporting factor alongside physical therapy. Unfortunately, sometimes after a disabling illness, injury or accident one may become cognitively impaired. OT’s help to develop new strategies that promote healthier lifestyles and ways to complete daily routine tasks. Speech therapists assist those that have impaired speech, regain and improve on communication. Patients that are in need of speech therapy may experience issues not limited to problems speaking after a stroke, cognitive or memory issues, difficulty swallowing and or choking.
Medical social services
In home senior social workers provide services such as leading individuals in need to the right support for overall health while aging, contacting health care providers for the patient and family, providing helpful advice regarding significant life changes or decisions, scheduling transportation services to and from the hospital or doctors visit.
Care from home health aides
Home health aides can help the patient with his or her basic personal needs such as getting out of bed, walking, bathing, and dressing. Some aides have received specialized training to assist with more specialized care under the supervision of a nurse.
Homemaker or Basic assistance care
While a patient is being medically cared for in the home, a homemaker or person who helps with chores or tasks can maintain the household with meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, and other housekeeping items.
Home Health Aides
Home health aids may assist individuals in need of help performing personal care tasks such as bathing, basic chores, cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, walking, getting out of bed, bathing and getting dressed.
Home Delivered Meals
Programs such as “Meals On Wheels” are available to deliver cooked meals to seniors that are needing long term services like nutrition, connections to community services , socialization as well as frequent safety checks. Elderly individuals needing short term or transitional care (post discharge) can receive services including customized care plans similar to long term patients alike with nutrition, socialization and safety checks.
Pharmaceutical Services
Depending on a patient’s individual care plans, some companies will deliver medications and medical equipment to a patient’s home and educate both the family and patient of how to use certain types of equipment and how to take medications.
Transportation Services
Some companies provide transportation services for disable or impaired seniors to and from a medical facility to receive treatments or to be examined by their PCP (primary care physician) accordingly. Routine treatments and exams will be a part of the patients customized care plan designated by the patients doctor and nurses.
