Older adults who live at home but need a little extra help can turn to home health care. Learn more about the benefits of home health care and how to tell when it’s time to reach out for this service. Additionally, learn what to expect if you choose this option over living in an assisted living community.
What Are Home Health Care Services?
If an older adult needs help at home, it’s essential to choose a provider who offers a continuum of care. For example, some clients may only need routine assistance with the activities of daily living, while others require continuous care such as wound dressing. Available home health care workers range from therapists to nutritionists to companions.
In-home care may include the following specializations:
- Skilled nursing
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Medication management
You or your physician determine the level of care wanted or needed.
Signs Your Loved One May Need Home Care
Perhaps you’re considering home medical care for yourself or someone else. What are the signs that it’s time to hire home health care? It’s important to acknowledge that not everyone responds well to receiving personal care at home. For those who feel comfortable doing so, there are many indications that you need assistance.
Do you have trouble getting out of bed or transferring on and off the toilet? Look around. Is the home disheveled? Older adults experiencing lower levels of hygiene or frequent falls may need home health care.
Specific conditions may also require medical or medication management. This includes wound care, pain management, assistance with oxygen machines, or trouble sticking to a particular diet. Clients recovering from surgery or dealing with chronic illness often need temporary or permanent assistance with everyday tasks. Moreover, we highly recommend home health care if a loved one suffers from dementia or confusion.
Benefits of Home Care
There are many benefits to home health care. Following surgery or illness, you may need additional help to prevent falls, ensure proper nutrition, and avoid infection. Here are a few benefits of home medical care:
- Achieve a clean, clutter-free home- After surgery, you need to concentrate on healing. So, it makes sense to bring in someone to take care of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry.
- Therapists come to you- When you need home health care, our specialists, such as physical or occupational therapists, make house calls.
- It improves safety and security- A trained therapist can spot hazards in the bathroom, kitchen, and throughout your home. With a few changes, you’ll decrease the likelihood of a fall or injury.
- Respite care is available- When family members need a break from stressful, time-consuming caregiving, a certified professional can take over. After a few days on vacation, taking care of personal business, or at the spa, family members can return refreshed and ready to jump back into action.
The truth is that home health care professionals can provide a hospital-level of care or higher at home.