What Can Skilled Nursing Care Offer Your Mom?
Skilled Nursing in Glencoe
From February 1st to the 7th, Women’s Heart Week hopes to educate women about their heart health. For your mom, this is especially important. After a diagnosis of heart disease, a heart surgery kept her in the hospital.
When she returns home, support her by arranging skilled nursing care. Above all, your family needs to learn what she needs going forward.
Health Checks
A nurse carefully monitors your mom’s blood pressure. Eventually, you might purchase a digital cuff that she uses at home on her own. For now, a nurse needs to take daily readings and record them for the cardiology team to review.
Dietary Instruction
If your mom’s diet is poor, she may need to work with nurses who specialize in heart-healthy meal plans. Ask about having a dietary specialist at your mom’s home. A dietary specialist teaches how to choose appropriate foods, cook meals and snacks that are good for her heart. Likewise, how to time those meals to balance her blood sugar levels if necessary.
Medication Administration
Your mom will have to get used to medications. After all, she cannot forget to take her heart meds. While she gets used to this change, a nurse stays with her. Her nurse can monitor her health after she takes them, and then help your mom come up with ways to remember to take them on time.
If your mom gets IV fluids, antibiotics, or pain medications, it’s not something you can help her administer. She has to have a skilled nurse insert the IV, administer the fluids or medications, and remove the IV when it’s time.
Catheter Care
If your mom is on bed rest, she may not be able to leave the bed to get to the bathroom. If she has a catheter, a nurse must be on hand to take care of it. Once it’s time to remove it, she can have a skilled nurse take care of it and avoid a trip to a medical clinic.
Talk to Her Cardiology Team
Ask your mom’s cardiology team about her care needs in the next few weeks, months, and years. Use this information to build a care plan that encompasses the things your mom needs to do now and in the future.
Once she gets home from the hospital, it’s vital to have skilled nursing care arranged for the next few weeks. Your mom needs to have her blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation levels monitored carefully each day.
Incision care is also important to lower the risk of infection after surgery. Your mom may have IV medications to take, and a home health nurse can set this up in your mom’s home. Talk to a skilled nursing care specialist to learn more about the ways to support your mom after a cardiac event.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Skilled Nursing in Glencoe, 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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