Home care is an arrangement where a disabled, ill, or aged person receives care in their home instead of a nursing facility. Home care is known to yield positive outcomes because the person can enjoy living in their own home surrounded by their loved ones. Besides, it promotes independence and can be significantly cheaper than moving into a nursing facility. The article below provides some essential pointers to caregivers that offer home care services.
Understand The Patient's Medical Needs
A mistake made by some caregivers is assuming that they know the patient's medical needs. As such, they end up giving the wrong type of care. Consult with your loved one's physician to understand their medical needs. For instance, inquire about the progression of their condition, the medication they take, and any emergencies that you can expect. Additionally, ask about their dietary needs and how you can make them comfortable at home. This information enables you to reciprocate the nursing care they would otherwise receive in a hospital or a nursing home.
Always Consult With Your Loved One
The patient will have likes, dislikes, and hobbies. Therefore, it is always wise to base home care around their preferences. For instance, it could be that they enjoy a late-night movie, time alone in the backyard, early supper, or a game of chess. Customising the home care programs to suit the needs and preferences of your loved one goes a long way in creating trust.
Create A Safe Environment
You must create a safe environment for your loved one. For instance, if they rely on a wheelchair, you could ensure the walkways are wide and free of clutter. If the person has a mental illness, you should remove any items that they could use to harm themselves.
Encourage Independence
Some patients will feel like a burden to their families, especially if they are not allowed to make meaningful contributions. Avoid this by encouraging your loved one to be as independent as possible. For instance, if they enjoy making their breakfast, you should let them. Besides, you could install a disability friendly washroom to ensure that they do not need your assistance when it comes to personal hygiene.
Take Regular Breaks
Caregivers will often forget about themselves. As such, they often lose meaningful friendships and spend less time pursuing their interests. Over time, they are too tired to provide quality care. At this stage, they become irritable and will unknowingly neglect the patient. Avoid these oversights by ensuring you take breaks when needed.
When providing home care, understand the patient's medical needs, consult with your loved one, create a safe environment, encourage independence, and take regular breaks.
If you have recently had surgery, you are likely to be starting out on the road to recovery. That road can be very long. I know, because last year I had surgery on my brain to remove a tumour. Once the surgery was over, I spent a few days in the hospital before being discharged and sent home. I was lucky enough to have home health care coverage on my insurance, which means that I got daily visits from the nurse. Without this help, I don't know what I would have done. Now I am back to full-health, I decided to start this blog.