A home health agency is a great resource if you or a loved one is in need of personalized home health care services. Home health agencies are growing in popularity as a great alternative to traditional medical care. These agencies provide the same type of care and services, but medical professionals visit the patient in their own home. For the elderly community, or those that are ailing or disabled, home health care offers great advantages over outpatient care. In home health care provides the comfort, security and convenience most elderly persons desire.
Patients look to home health care for a variety of medical reasons. Some are preparing for, or recovering from surgery. Others need assistance with ADLs. Many people are going through the stages of dementia and need extra help inside and outside of their home. Maybe an elderly person’s loved ones need assistance, or are seeking alternatives for a transition into a nursing home or assisted living facility. All of these needs can easily be met through a home health care agency. Most agencies provide customized care plans to meet you or your loved one’s medical needs through a comprehensive in home approach.
Home Health Agency Services
In home health care services typically include:
Personal Home Health CareCertified nursing assistants and home health aides help patients with a number of needs like assistance with ADLs, personal hygiene, light housework, meal preparation, medical condition(s) tracking and record keeping.
Skilled NursingRegistered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) coordinates a health care plan with the patient’s physician and oversees most in home care services. Skilled nursing includes chronic disease management.
Therapy and RehabilitationPhysical, speech and occupational therapists focus on core areas of therapy and develop personalized rehabilitation plans for patients. Specialized services also include amputee rehabilitation and orthopedic/joint replacement programs.
Medical Social WorkSocial workers are oftentimes the connection between the patient and their family, friends and community. They provide support to the patient, but also serve as a guide for loved ones and friends who are unsure as to how to best offer support and companionship.
Hospice CarePalliative hospice care helps patients and their loved ones during the most difficult times. This type of hospice care focuses not on treating the disease, but relieving pain, stress and other symptoms that patients with terminal illnesses often experience.
As the baby boomer generation grows older, the demand for information regarding senior home health care rapidly increases. There are many care options available to seniors that need specialized medical services. However, sometimes it’s difficult for the person and their family to make the best decision for where to seek medical care when faced with various options and choices. Home health care is a preferred alternative to traditional inpatient care because it allows the family to take regular part in their loved one’s care while acting as a full-time support system. Home senior health care is beneficial to elderly persons struggling with a variety of illness, disabilities and physical limitations. Before making a decision, it’s important to be educated on what home senior care entails.
The Virginia Department for the Aging
The Virginia Department for the Aging (VDA) provides assistance and resources to older Virginians and their families. The organization helps educate seniors and their loved ones on how to live as comfortably and independently as possible as they grow older. The VDA has provided a great deal of resources on home care, how to select a provider, how to handle in-home health care problems and what to expect when receiving home health care.Therapy and rehabilitation are a suggested treatment and preventative method for people with a number of medical conditions. A person may be preparing for, or recovering from, surgery, and needs pre and post-operative therapy. They may be dealing with a debilitating disease or disability. Others need assistance because chronic illnesses are affecting their mobility and physical abilities. In whatever circumstance, the burden of traveling to and from a therapy facility can almost be too much to handle. This is why in-home therapies are becoming a popular choice for those that need it most.
Benefits of in-home therapy include:
Convenience – There is no coordinating of rides or travel time required. It also isn’t necessary to wait for your appointment.
Energy saving – When you are ill, disabled or recovering from surgery, the last thing you want is to spend your energy getting up/down stairs or in/out of the car. In home therapy allows patients to save their energy for other aspects of life.
Fully functional – Not only is the therapist teaching the patient new techniques, he or she is doing it in the patient’s home – a completely realistic, practical environment.
Encouraging & supportive – The familiarity of the same therapist is comforting to patients, and the partnership formed offers a unique type of support.
In-Home Therapy and Rehabilitation Results
Home-based therapies are physically and emotionally motivating for patients. Most patients note that they are more satisfied with their quality of life when receiving care in the home. Many times, patients who receive in-home therapy versus going to a facility are quicker to regain independence and perform personal and household tasks. Depending on their condition, they may also be less likely to seek admission into long-term care facilities as they age.Over the years, healthcare has evolved from a facility-based, face-to-face, paper-centric industry to one where patients can track and monitor health conditions electronically in the comfort of their homes. The emergence of home health care has impacted the convenience of aging in place, but technology has played a role as well. Some of these new health care alternatives are referred to as do-it-yourself healthcare.
DIY healthcare is simply defined as a type of self-care. It involves the use of patient-directed technologies that enable a person the ability to manage their health without direct assistance from a doctor. These tools are the foundation for connecting continuum care to the home. Although nothing supersedes contact with a human hand, healthcare leaders and researchers foresee that new tools and devices will eventually be equipped to function similar to a caregiver or doctor. These technologies are truly transforming the way Americans receive care on a daily basis.
So what are these industry-changing technologies?
There are a variety of mobile apps being developed, and they’re getting a warm welcome from patients and physicians alike. These technologies are providing patients with real-time data and access to their medical records, as well as numerous other health and wellness tracking tools. Through an easy to use interface, they can track all components of health including diet, exercise, medications and even vital signs.
Medical devices are an important element to DIY healthcare. From being able to remotely monitor various aspects of a patient’s health to acting as an alert system in case of emergency, devices provide those who age in place peace of mind. Systems can be linked to emergency response teams or to medical providers. There is a great deal of flexibility when it comes to setting up devices to specifically monitor elements of a patient’s health.
Did you know…
…slightly over ½ of all doctors are comfortable with mobile apps and devices that monitor vitals?
…86% of doctors think mobile apps will become a critical component to managing patient’s health information?
…of those patients who use mobile apps, over ½ said the technology has replaced some unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office?
…nearly ½ of all people believe DIY healthcare technologies will change the way they monitor their health over the next several years?Caregivers bridge a crucial gap between an elder, disabled or home-bound individual and their community. Encompassing all aspects of a person’s life, caregiving includes everything from grocery shopping to doctor’s appointments, bathing to preparing meals and whatever else may fall in between. These duties require time, effort and patience. This can be exceptionally difficult when the caregiver has responsibilities to their own family, friends, profession and social life.
Even with affordable home health care options, most caregivers are family to the loved ones they care for. In fact, nearly 25% of the population cares for an elderly or disabled family member and over ½ have other jobs and responsibilities. This can leave caregivers impatient, run-down and burnt out. Research indicates that caregivers are actually at increased risk for depression and other illnesses, especially if they lack professional resources and/or support from family.
Once signs of stress or burnout are present it’s really no longer a healthy option for anyone involved. Symptoms of stress include irritability, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feelings of resentment, overreacting to nuisances and exaggerating small scenarios. Signs of burnout are a bit more severe. These include feeling helpless, hopeless, overwhelmed and exhausted. Neglecting your own needs and gaining little satisfaction from caregiving are other signs not to ignore.
Here are some tips to avoiding caregiver stress and burnout:
Have the humility to ask for help, and accept assistance when people step forward. Delegate tasks; don’t take control of everything.
Give yourself a break. Make time in your schedule for relaxation or leisurely activities. Taking time for yourself will result in more effective, efficient caregiving.
Accept caregiving responsibilities as opposed to feeling sad about the situation. Find the silver lining in what it is you’re doing, and realize how it’s making you stronger.
Don’t neglect your own health. Keep doctor appointments, eat healthily and exercise regularly. Make sure to get enough sleep as it will greatly improve energy, mood and productivity.
If you are the caregiver to an elderly, disabled or home-bound loved one, it’s likely you realize the significance of balancing caregiving duties with your own personal and family life. This balance is crucial to being a patient and nurturing caregiver, but still having the time and energy for your own life. For caregiver support and resources, contact AT Home Care today.As Virginians try to digest the various changes in Medicare coverage that national health care reform proposes, we ask that they communicate with their legislators to reinforce that Home Care is part of the solution in lowering health care costs. Also, long term care needs to be addressed as an integral part of Medicare coverage as the population ages. Already 10 million people need help with activities of daily living and need long term home care.
Home health care’s ability to provide long term care has been an afterthought in Medicare coverage legislation. Medicaid funds more than 40% of all long-term care and most of those beneficiaries must live in nursing homes to receive funding. Only 7 million people currently have long term care insurance, while over 250 million have acute care insurance. Neither Medicare or medigap supplementary insurance covers long-term services, and only 6 percent of those over 45 have private long-term care insurance. It is truly an urgent matter that will affect the quality of life for most of us. Please write or email your legislators about the importance of Home Health Care to Virginians as being part of the solution. Your language could include:
“The goal of health care for all should not come at the expense of frail elderly and disabled homebound Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health services. Home health services preserve independence, keep families together, and save Medicare dollars by keeping beneficiaries out of hospitals and nursing homes. Please oppose home health cuts and include long term care in your proposal.”
You can make a difference!As Home Health Care becomes a more important part of the complete medical care of a patient, the plan of care often involves more clinicians. The amount of communication between the attending physician, therapist and home care nurse often continues for a longer period of time. In order to deliver seamless homecare, the transmission of doctor’s orders needs to be faster and efficient. AT Home Care has adopted a new technique of scanning doctors’ orders into a computer so they are more quickly transmitted to the home care nurse responsible for the homebound patient. The physician is able to respond with a push of a button to submit his electronic signature rather than sign and fax something to an outlying office when he gets around to his paper work. The home care nurse is able to get a quick turnaround on any changes in the plan of care or medications. By spending less time on paper work, more time can be devoted to caring for the patient…outstanding home care is what AT Home Care is all about!Many Home Health Agency execs are changing their attitudes about the return on investment for advertising. Response rates and direct tracking are often tough for HHAs to determine, given that most referrals come not from the public but from physicians and discharge planners.
But ads can be a powerful way to generate brand identity and keep your home care agency in the public eye and on people’s minds when they ultimately need home nurse services. There’s a real value to having your message and image out there. The recognition reinforces the recommendations that come from doctors or discharge planners.
Many home care ads combine corporate image along with a recruiting message as many agencies are finding a constant need for physical and occupational therapists. Web sites and radio stations have recently become more popular as home health agencies go after a broader market and target those that don’t necessarily need nursing services immediately. The need for elderly care is not sensitive to economic downturns, so we are lucky to be able to keep pace with our advertising dollars.Here’s another great article located in the resource section of our site. This article discusses tips for finding the right home health care agency in Virginia.
