Home health care is a service where a client receives medically-indicated therapeutic and nursing care within the home. It helps keep the client out of the hospital or from being re-hospitalized. Below are the different services available with home health care.
Provide an At-Home Education
What is your mom’s health issue? Conditions like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and osteoporosis will require her to learn how to take care of herself. She needs to learn when and how to use things like oxygen treatments or test her blood sugar levels. A home health care nurse helps with that.
Your mom’s health condition may require her to change her diet. If she has heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis, she might have to carefully watch what she eats. She needs to learn to avoid sugar and sodium when shopping and to focus on meals that are made from scratch without using canned broths, sauces, and condiments.
Help With IV Lines and Infusions
If your mom has osteoporosis, one of the treatment options involves an injection each day. She may have an issue like anemia that requires twice-yearly or yearly iron-rich plasma infusions. If it’s a problem getting her out of the home for these issues, a nurse can make sure she has them at home.
Assess Your Mom’s Mental Well-Being
Many older adults suffer from mental illness. Severe anxiety and depression are two of the most common. Your mom’s nurse can assess her mood each day and alert her doctor if things seem to be worsening. That can indicate it’s time for a medication change.
Perform Routine Health Checks
Nurses can perform routine health checks for things like blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, and blood sugar levels. Your mom may need blood drawn for tests to check her iron levels, red cell count, etc. and nurses can draw blood and get it to the lab for the doctor.
Administer Medications
Your mom takes medications each day, and some of them require very specific timing. If she takes too much of a prescription pain medication, it could be a problem. She has heart medications that have to be taken each day at a specific time.
In addition to these medications, newer ones may cause concerning side effects. A new heart medication could cause her blood pressure to drop. It’s best to have a nurse with her to monitor for these concerning side effects and be ready to discuss issues with her doctor.
Provide Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy Services
If your mom needs physical, occupational, or speech therapy services, she can have those services at home. A home health care specialist can arrange them after consulting with your mom’s medical team.
Does this sound like something that will benefit your mom as she ages? If it would help her to have nurses for IVs, health checks, medication administration, and education, arrange it. Call a home health care agency to learn more.