Five Ways Home Health Care Helps After a Hospitalization
For some reason, your dad’s been in the hospital. It might he needed medical care after contracting food poisoning, or he fell and broke his hip. He’s heading home soon. Have you stopped to think about the many benefits of home health care when he comes home?
Education
If your dad is diagnosed with diabetes, what do you know about his care needs? You probably think of him needing to check his blood sugar levels. He may need to inject insulin into his body through a needle or an insulin pump. There’s more to it than that.
Your dad needs to alter his diet. He shouldn’t drink, and he needs to be careful about carbs. He needs to avoid added sugar. This can be challenging, especially if he’s also been told to watch his sodium and fat intake. Coming up with foods that don’t have added sugar, are low fat, and that avoid carbs is challenging.
With home health care, your dad can have someone come to his home and help him learn how to take care of himself. He’ll learn about the foods to cook. Foot care is essential to diabetics, and he’ll learn how to take care of his feet. He’ll also learn about glucose pills, monitoring his blood sugars, and insulin use.
Home Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies
After a stroke, all three of these essential therapies are often necessary. Common complaints during the recovery are the inability to effectively move the arm and leg on one side of the body. Speech is often affected. That makes it hard to do simple everyday tasks like taking a shower, cleaning the home, and cooking a meal.
Physical therapy helps him regain control and strength in his arm and leg. Speech therapy helps him with his speech. Occupational therapy can help him relearn ways to do things like button a shirt, open a door, and eat his meals.
IV Administration and Care
If your dad has surgery or a treatment that requires an IV at home, home health care nurses can come to his house, change the IV bag, insert the IV, and remove the IV. They can administer IV medications and check the lines for blockages and other issues.
Medication Management
Wound Care
After surgery or a serious fall, your dad has stitches. He has a gash on the back of his head or a surgical incision that must be kept clean. He needs to change the bandages as directed. He can’t do it himself, but you’re not comfortable doing it.
A home health care nurse comes to his home, removes the bandage, and checks to ensure the incision or wound is healing. If there’s an infection, the nurse knows the signs and knows what to do next.
Talk to his doctor about the necessity of home health care when he comes home. If he needs care services that you’re not trained or qualified to do, a home health care nurse is a huge help. Hire nurses to help with injectable medications, IV care, and wound care.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Health Care in Concord, NC, contact the caring professionals at TenderHearted Home Care today. Call us at (704) 612-4132
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