how to find a best home nursing care

what is home care?

At times, there are certain circumstances that categorise us as someone who has special needs. This requires us to look for a home health nurse who gives us home care that helps us live safely and comfortably. Home care is when a trained medical professional or caregiver comes to your home to provide her/his services. Some conditions that make a person eligible for home care include:

• An ageing person who needs assistance with routine things.
• Someone who is recovering from surgery.
• A person with permanent mobility issues.
• A person rendered immobile due to an injury or chronic illness.

Home care is usually rendered by nurses, attendants, aides, speech language pathologists, medical social workers, and occupational therapists, and its duration, whether long term or short term, depends on the person’s specific needs. 

what are some types of home care?

Types of home nurse care can range from generalised care to highly specialised care depending on your individual needs. Here are some of the most common types of home care:

1. Private duty nursing care:  

This is typically required by seniors who suffer from some chronic health conditions, injury, or disability and need a nurse who provides specialised medical care. Alternatively, this type of care may also help seniors with getting through their daily routine and basic tasks. This is usually rendered by a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN).  

Some examples of this type of home care include:

• Monitoring your vital signs
• Creating your schedule of medications and administering them
• Ventilator care
• Catheter care
• Feeding tube, care
• Dressing your wounds
• Training your family members about your care procedures

2. Home Health Care:

Quite similar to private duty nursing care, this is usually directed at people who need care for a short term when they are recovering from an injury or illness. This is given once the patient is discharged from the hospital and is on the way to recovery. This is rendered by social workers, physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, etc. 

Some examples of home health care include:

• Occupational or physical therapy
• Providing speech therapy
• Coordinating with your team of doctors and nurses
• Managing your health insurance

3. Non-Medical Home Care:

Also known as companionship and personal care or assistive care, this is suitable for people who need support to manage their daily life. These people may have a limited range of motion due to disability or injury or neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia and may need a personal caregiver. It is not rendered by medical professionals but by those who are trained in providing companionship and senior care. 

These are some examples of non-medical home care:

• Self-care assistance that includes your grooming and using the toilet
• Ensuring your safety at home especially while you are being transferred from the wheelchair to the bed
• Preventing injuries from falls
• Spending time with you and keeping you engaged in recreational activities.
• Daily chores such as cleaning and cooking

is home care right for me?

If you have been advised home care by your doctor, it is natural to wonder if it is right for you or not. Here are some things that will help you decide on the viability of home nurse care for you:

• What’s your condition: If you are recovering from a major condition such as a stroke, heart attack, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, injury to your spinal cord, etc., and are transitioning from a hospital to your home, home care will most definitely help you. It also becomes essential if there is complicated or specialised equipment involved. 

• Do you have caregivers: Home nurse care is essential for people who do not have a support system such as family and friends to care for them. However, even if you do have people to care for you, they may either not be adept at handling medical conditions or may not be able to leave their life responsibilities. 

• Finances: This is one of the most important considerations to keep in mind while deciding about home care. A 24-hour live-in nurse is an expensive proposition. Once you have your needs figured out, you can evaluate them vis-à-vis the finances at your disposal and decide on a suitable form. 

how is home care provided?

Home care is a critical aspect when it comes to your health. It’s good to know how is it provided:

• Prescription: Only private duty nursing care and home health care are prescribed by doctors. Non-medical home care or companionship needn’t be prescribed. 

• Duration: Private duty nursing care is provided for 24 hours and 7 days of the week. The shifts of your nurses may change. Home health care, that’s required for the short term, requires a visit from a specialised medical professional for 1-2 hours. Personal care requires a live-in arrangement where you are given round-the-clock support.

• Payments: Private duty nursing care can be easily paid for either privately or through your health insurance, medicare, senior citizen benefits, etc. Home health care is usually paid for through your private insurance, direct payment, or medicare. Personalised home care is paid by the receiver directly through private pay, health insurance, or long-term care insurance. 

how portea helps?

 Once you have been prescribed home care, the first thing that we think is how to find a nurse for home care? This is where Portea comes in. Considered to be amongst the top names home healthcare companies, we offer great personalised care. This is how we help you:

• We offer professional and experienced staff that’s trained in providing highly specialised care at home. You get hospital-quality care right in the comfort of your home and recover faster.
• You are kept abreast of your treatment and outcomes by our nursing staff.
• The entire management and administration of your care are left to a professional service like Portea, leaving no room for errors or delays.
• Our home care facilities are more economical than a stay in a hospital or a nursing home, especially when you need care for a long period.