Despite popular belief, you don’t have to be in a hospital or nursing facility to have a staff of professionals take care of you – the is an alternative called home health care. Essentially, many of the same type of services offered at hospitals can be offered to you at your home through specialized agencies, and often it’s more convenient and less expensive for you in the end.
You know that health care, ultimately, is to take care of you after you’ve been injured or sick. Now, if you can do this at your home, and gain your strength and self-sufficiency back in an environment where you’re more comfortable, that would be a great option to exercise.
Some home health care services include: wound care, patient education, nutrition therapy, injections, intravenous therapy, and speech-language therapy. Staff can also monitor serious illness and unstable health status, as well as helping with getting you into and out of bed, helping you bathe and use the bathroom, and doing things like light housekeeping, cooking, shopping, and laundry.
To find agencies available for this type of work, do an internet search and find out if there is anything local, and find out if they provide the exact service to the specifications that you require. Be aware that there are arrangements made between insurers and the agencies, so always ask questions before deciding who to hire.
So when they’re there, what should you expect from a home health care team? They should be aware of your diet, your amount of exercise, your blood pressure and heart rate, your breathing, your temperature, and all of your vitals. They should know your medication routines and have them all up to date. They should check on your pain levels and your mental and physical condition every day, if not more often. They will make sure that your home is safe, and they will teach you how to take care of yourself as the process moves forward.
They’ll also explain to you what your plan of care is. It’s essentially a list of everything you need – what services, by what type of care professional, what equipment they need, how often they need to take care of what parts of your health, and what you should expect when the treatments are complete.
And be sure to ask yourself questions while you are under care. Are they treating you respectfully? Are they explaining why they are doing what they’re doing? Are they continually suggesting ways to improve your treatment? Are they putting your mental and physical health first with regard to the service?
Ultimately it’s up to you to pick the best service provider for your home health care, so do your research and decide if it’s for you.
