Asking about the importance of home health care is like asking why oxygen is essential. The reality is home health care is health care. In fact, fifteen million Americans receive some at-home health care, so home health care is equally important as any other form of health care.
Usually, people who receive at-home health care suffer from chronic conditions, are elderly and need assistance with day-to-day tasks, are someone who’s going through physical therapy to regain movement, or anyone who can’t leave their house to seek medical attention or assistance.
According to the National Institute of Health, “Sick, elderly patients are likely to rely heavily on caregivers, who often contribute to adverse events because of lack of appropriate information13. Developing interventions to improve caregiver communication and training in the proper care of the patient might minimize the risk caregivers introduce. Other solutions include telehealth interventions such as phone calls to the patient by the home care nurse between visits21,22, remote physiologic monitoring, medication delivery units, and information portals providing patients, caregivers, and clinicians with consistent information.
Improvements in information sharing and communication among all clinicians and caregivers will not solve all problems in home care, nor prevent all adverse events. However, some of these changes are relatively inexpensive and easy to implement, and ought to be considered by researchers and health systems as an initial intervention. Home care nurses provide a valuable service to their patients by helping them stay healthier, reducing costs, and helping them avoid hospitals and long-term care facilities2–8. Approaches that do not consider the input of these critical yet underappreciated healthcare providers run the risk of missing valuable opportunities to reduce adverse events and improve care received at home,”.
In my own family, I’ve seen what it looks like to have to need home health care, how this looks different for every person, and even what it looks like when home health care is no longer an option.
Before I talk about my personal experiences, let’s discuss some different and common types of home health care and what that could look like for you or a loved one. Various kinds of home health care include the following but are not limited to:
- Nursing
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Medical social services
- Companionship
- Transportation
- Home delivered meals
Nursing
With Nursing, they can play a crucial role in being care providers and support for patients all in the comfort of their own homes. They care for people who might be recovering from surgery, dealing with disabilities, or managing chronic pain. The nurses offer personalized and compassionate care while also helping their patients maintain their independence while still ensuring they receive the necessary medical attention. They can administer medications, care for wounds, and monitor vitals, all while educating their patients’ families and patients themselves. The presence of a home health care nurse can drastically improve the quality of life for patients compared to if they were In a hospital, promoting quick recovery and reducing the need to go into any facilities.
This can also be highly beneficial if the patient may be more prone to infections with a compromised immune system. These nurses often form strong and loving bonds with their patients along with the family, becoming not only their medical providers but also a pillar in their lives and another part of an emotional support system.
The flexibility allows for more tailored treatment plans, making this essential for older adults or those who struggle with mobility issues. In most cases, these nurses also collaborate with the patient’s existing physicians. This ensures a community of care for the patient, taking ordinary health care to another level, enhancing the overall effectiveness of treatment, and improving outcomes.
For anyone looking into the field as a profession, it’s frequently described as one of the most rewarding careers. Still, it takes a special person versed in a combination of clinical skills, compassion, and adaptability.
Continuing the conversation, another crucial role in home health care is physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Johns Hopkins tells us, “Some patients may need help relearning how to perform daily duties or improve their speech after an illness or injury. A physical therapist can put together a plan of care to help a patient regain or strengthen the use of muscles and joints. An occupational therapist can help a patient with physical, developmental, social, or emotional disabilities relearn how to perform such daily functions as eating, bathing, dressing, and more. A speech therapist can help a patient with impaired speech regain the ability to communicate clearly.”
This expands the typical impression of home health care, with people thinking it’s mainly for the elderly or people with mobility issues when it’s used for so many other things. Expanding on the nontypical thought of home health care, one of my friends whose brother is mentally disabled helps him out by taking him to the store, helping him with tasks he has a hard time with around the house, or even just being there to hang out with him and play a board game. This, even though she’s not a nurse or administering medical assistance, would be considered a form of home health care.
Transportation
Home health care can even venture outside of the home, providing services like transportation. For example, the buses that come to different seniors’ homes to pick them up for community events, grocery shopping, or even just for a ride. Another form of transportation can be different car services expressly set up for visually impaired people or patients who are recovering from an injury that leaves them without the ability to drive. In some cases, depending on the severity of the injury or the financial situation, your medical providers or insurance can cover this service.
In my own experience, I’ve seen multiple different family members need and utilize home health care services. Starting with my Papa, my mother’s grandfather, who, near the end of his life, was in hospice. I remember being younger and seeing his bedroom and wondering why he had such a crazy bedroom setup.
I know now that he had a hospital-grade bed and equipment, along with a nurse who came daily to make sure he was comfortable. Along with my Papa, his daughter, Nana, also was a home health care patient. Later in my Nana’s life, she lost her vision and, in turn, couldn’t drive anymore. In her case, she was able to set up one of the aforementioned transportation services to pick her up and drive her where she needed to go if my Mom wasn’t available.
In her case, because of the insurance she had, her transportation costs were covered. My Nana also struggled with diabetes, which forced her to have to go through dialysis; this, along with the fact she could no longer drive, made her a candidate for at-home dialysis that she could do herself.
Why home health care is important
Home health care is not only a crucial part of the medical system but an extraordinary tool for so many.