Types of Home Health Care Nursing Services
Closeup of a nurse inserting an IV into an elderly woman’s hand
From May 6th to the 12th, the nation celebrates Nurses Week. There are 4.4 million registered nurses and approximately 1.39 million nursing assistants in the U.S. All ages rely on these healthcare professionals for care and advocacy. Your elderly loved ones can benefit from home health care services, which have nurses that provide services to keep them out of hospitals and nursing homes.
Your mom had a health emergency that brought her to the hospital, but her doctor is leaning towards having her stay in a nursing home. Home health care will likely be a better option for her, so she can recover faster in the comfort of her own home. Here are a few services that can help.
Wound and Incision Care
If seniors have a surgical incision or wound that needs to be kept clean, her nurse can assist. Nurses are skilled in wound care and will make sure they’re bandaged and cleaned as directed. Should any signs of infection appear, the nurse can make sure their doctor is alerted to get them started on antibiotics.
Medication Administration
Your mom may need to take several doses of medications each day. On her own, she has a hard time tracking them all. It can be dangerous if she takes too many prescriptions or forgets a dose of an antibiotic. Her home health care nurse can monitor these for her and check for troubling side effects. Any issues can then be reported to her doctor.
If a medication isn’t working as it should, her nurse can also discuss alternatives with her doctor. Nurses can get new medication without your mom having to return to the hospital. It’s less stressful, which will make for a quicker recovery.
IV Lines and Injections
If your mom has medications or fluids that have to be administered through an IV drip or injection, she won’t have to return to the hospital or a clinic. Her home health care nurse can set up an IV line or inject the medication as directed.
This is especially handy if there is ever a need for several doses per day or throughout the week. That way she won’t need to suffer through continuous hospital visits. Nurses can set up the IV line, take it out, and make sure your mom’s puncture wound is disinfected and bandaged when it is removed.
Therapy Sessions
Instead of having to arrange transportation, consider in home therapy sessions. Physical, occupational, and speech therapists have the option of coming directly to your mom’s home. It will be a lot easier when her mobility is impaired.
Celebrate the roles that nurses play in your mom’s recovery. Don’t believe that a nursing home or hospital stay is her only choice. Talk to a home health care agency to discuss the nursing services your mom will need and then arrange them before she comes home.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Lake Forest, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.
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