Home Care: A Compassionate Solution for Independent Living

By Your Health Magazine

Your Health Magazine

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Home Care: A Compassionate Solution for Independent Living

Old age is supposed to be a blessing but sometimes it doesn’t seem so. This is mainly because of the lowering of the quality of life for some senior citizens as their ability to fend for themselves diminishes. This issue is even worsened if the senior has a chronic disease, disability or has to go in for surgery. That is why home care service is a very welcome idea. 

Home care is a specialized niche of supportive service that caters to not only seniors but anyone who needs help with their daily routines. This assistance may be needed for post-surgery patients, disabled folks or chronically ill people and it helps them to receive the care they need right in the comfort of their homes. 

We mentioned that home care is a specialized niche because there is also something known as home health care. You can check out this site: https://rosseducation.edu/  since we will not be able to go into full details, 

In this article, our focus in on home care so come with us as we explain what it is all about. 

What Is Home Care? 

This refers to a wide range of services that is rendered to individuals in their homes. These individuals are usually people who cannot carry out their daily routines on their own due to sickness, age or disability. The services can cover both medical and non-medical aspects all depending on the needs and condition of the individual. 

Non-Medical (Supportive) Care 

This most includes assistance in the following areas: –

1. Personal Hygiene and bathing 
2. Grooming and dressing 
3. Meal prep and feeding 
4. Reminders for medication 
5. Laundry and light housekeeping
6. Emotional support and companionship 

Medical (Clinical) Care 

This often includes the following: –

1. Caring for wound
2. Administering injections and medications 
3. Monitoring vitals 
4. Occupational, physical or speech therapy 
5. Chronic disease or post-op management 

This aspect is often strictly handled by professionals such as nurses or therapists. 

Benefits of Home Care

The most important benefit of personal home assistance is the fact that a person gets to remain in their home which means they are in familiar environment. The psychological and emotional advantage of this arrangement makes it highly beneficial for the overall welling of the ‘patient’. 

The following are offshoots of this primary and most important benefit: –

1. Independence – The client still gets to have a say about their routine per day. 
2. Familiarity and Comfort- Staying in a familiar space reduces stress and contributes to general wellbeing. 
3. Personalized Attention – Clients are attended to on an individual basis and not as a group. 
4. Family Involvement – People can be involved in assisting their loved one. For example, if you live in Houston and your loved one is somewhere else, you can move them to your home and get home care in Houston, thereby keeping them close. You can then monitor their care and leave nothing to chance.
5. Cost Effectiveness – From the above point, you can save money, time and effort through this arrangement. 

In addition to the above benefits,  daily living assistance service can prevent or delay the need for a nursing home or assisted living for senior citizens. In the case of post-op patients or those recovering from serious illness, the risk of readmission to the hospital is reduced and recovery is faster. 

Choosing the Right Home Care Provider

Having established that this arrangement is beneficial in many ways, it is also important to state that you need to choose the right service provider so as to enjoy these benefits. For this reason, below are some very important factors to consider when making your choice: –

1. Licensing and Accreditation– Make sure that the agency that will assign a caregiver to you is one that is licensed and accredited by the appropriate regulatory authorities in your region. This will assure you that they have met the healthcare standards and regulations required to practice. 
2. Qualified Staff – Find out the qualification and experience of the staff in the agency. Make sure that they are well-trained, with verified background and also have the right certification in this field of practice. 
3. Tailored Care Plans – Look for agencies that are big on providing personalized care to their clients. 
4. Communication Skills – Find an agency whose staff have great communication skills; additionally, the agency must have stress-free lines of communication with their clients and their families. 
5. Reputation and Reviews – Take out time to read reviews about your prospective hire. If possible, look out for past clients so that you can have insight into their reputation and what to expect from them. Click here for tips on how to evaluate reviews accurately. 

Conclusion

Home care service not only delivers convenience but also a compassionate solution to clients seeking to remain independent to an extent. This service helps to preserve the dignity of clients and in the long run, their overall wellbeing. 

We have shared some pertinent information about this arrangement and we believe that you have enough information to make an informed decision when the need arises.