What Does Home Health Care Do?

July 30 2020

Doctor Care

It may seem like a home call from a doctor is a thing of the past but it actually isn’t. Doctors do make house calls to diagnose or treat an illness.

Nursing Care

This type of care is the most common form of home health care. Your nurse will work in consultation with the doctor to set up a care plan. While in your home, nurses will take your vitals, perform wound care, ostomy care, intravenous therapy, administering medication, pain management and other forms of health support. Depending on your needs, your nurse may visit quite regularly, such as once a week or even daily, allowing you to build a close and trusting relationship with your nurse.

Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy

For patients needing help relearning how to perform daily tasks or improve their speech after an illness or injury, a therapist can create a care plan and help the patient. A physical therapist will help a patient regain or strengthen muscles and joints while an occupational therapist helps patients with physical, developmental, social or emotional disabilities relearn how to perform basic daily tasks such as bathing or eating. A speech therapist will help improve imparied speech.

Home Health Aides

Home health aides help patients with basic daily tasks such as walking, bathing and dressing. Some home health aides have also received specialized training to assist with specialized care under the supervision of a nurse.

Pharmaceutical Services

Medicine and medical equipment can be delivered directly to the patients home. It also includes helping to train the patient and any family caregivers on taking/administering medication and how to use equipment.

Laboratory

Certain laboratory tests can be performed at home, such as blood and urine tests.Additionally, there are portable X-ray machines that allow lab technicians to perform X-rays at home.

Hospice and Palliative Care

Hospice is end of life care. While all life-prolonging medical treatments are stopped, care is still overseen by medical staff. This is because vitals are still monitored and comfort care is administered, such as medications to ease pain. Palliative care is comfort care but can be administered in conjunction with life-saving medical treatment.

Medical Social Services

Medical Social Workers provide various services to the patient and family, including counseling and locating community resources to help with recovery. If a patient’s medical condition is very complex and requires coordination of many services, the social worker may also be the patient’s case manager.

Nutritional Support and Home-Delivered Meals

If a patient’s medical condition requires a specific diet or they just need better nutrition, dieticians can also provide in-home support, including assessments, meal plans and guidance. Home-delivered meals, such as Meals-on-Wheels, is a service that delivers meals to those who are unable to cook to ensure they are still eating a nutritious diet. Depending on their needs, meals can be delivered several times a week.

Basic/Homemaker Assistance

While a patient is being cared for at home, a person can be assigned to help with chores and other tasks that help to maintain the household. These tasks include meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, and other light housekeeping tasks.

Companionship

For patients who are home alone, companionship care provides comfort and supervision. These companions may also perform light household chores and help with meal preparation.

Volunteer Care

Volunteers from community organizations can also provide a variety of services such as companionship, help with personal care, providing transportation, emotional support or even helping with paperwork.

Transportation

Transportation can be provided by organizations such as senior centers or by some companion care workers. This type of service offers rides to medical appointments, running errands or going to social engagements.