Private Home Care Promotes Safe/Faster Recovery

By Bob Brueckman, Owner

When someone you know suffers a heart attack or stroke the road to recovery can be long and difficult. Depending on the severity they may go from the hospital to a skilled nursing rehabilitation facility (SNF). If rehabilitation is required it may involve physical, speech or occupational therapy. The goal of the SNF is to improve the health and ability of the individual in order for them to return home safely.

In many cases therapy is continued at home after discharge which is critical to the long term recovery of the patient. To assure a safe and rapid recovery at home you may want to consider hiring a private home care agency. Two things impact recovery at home and the first is safety, when someone's condition is impaired even slightly they have a higher risk of injury which could result in recovery setbacks.

Suffering a fall or an accident once an individual returns home is common. Depending on the severity it may create new medical issues such as a broken bone or head trauma. Many families hire a private home care agency to provide an aide/caregiver to assist their family member at critical points during the day such as showering/bathing and dressing. A small amount of extra help with activities of daily living at home during the early stages of recovery can be life saving.

In addition to daily living assistance a caregiver can also appropriately and safely help the patient with exercises provided by the therapists. Hands on visits by the Medicare Agency therapist- are usually provided a couple of times a week but as with any recuperation the responsibility is on the patient to perform the exercises and put forth the effort on a daily basis to improve their condition. Many times patients need to be reminded and encouraged to perform the necessary steps in their recovery plan which is critical to their long term health and mobility. Safety during exercising is again a priority. You should consider only working with a private home care agency that has registered nurse supervision over its aides and cases.

The cost of private home care is not covered by Medicare. In most cases it is paid by the patient, family or long term care insurance and is in the range of $21 to $23 per hour. The short and long term benefits far out way the cost especially in the first few weeks/months after your loved one returns home. No one wants someone's health to decline due to a fall that could have been avoided or from a lack of effort in doing what is required to recover.