Home Care- Sharing Responsibilities

Home care as the name suggests refers to care giving at home. It is suggested for the elderly, convalescing and the sick that are in constant need of medical attention or are incapacitated.

It is essentially of two types. The first kind is a more generalized care that includes help with cleaning, mopping, cooking and keeping company. The second kind is medical care at home and this involves nursing care and around the clock nursing attendants at home to help with the daily activities, medication and physical exercises and therapy. While the first kind of care is usually recommended for the old and the aged, the second kind is suggested for patients who have had a surgery, a physical injury like fractures or splinters or are terminally ill.

Home care services are the best solutions not only for the patients and the old parents at home but also for their near and dear ones who might find it extremely difficult to manage the demands of work with the daily errands and the responsibilities of looking after their ill family members. Having some help at home gives them the time to relax and unwind and put their mind at peace and not be unduly worried about their loved ones. However, while looking for home healthcare services, a few things should be kept in mind.

1. Be sure what you want!
   First and foremost, what kind of care would you want? A helper to clean, cook and dust? Or a nurse at home to help with dressing a wound? Or is it managing medications and daily regime of exercises and therapy?
    
2. Find a suitable healthcare provider!
   Once that has been decided, the next thing is to look for a home healthcare provider that would provide the services required. Healthcare providers train and prepare their medical staff for the services required of them to deliver the best patient care at home. It is also more convenient and affordable than stay at hospitals.
    
3. Do a background check on the caregiver!
   A blanket rule whether one hires from the health care service provider or not is to get references and to enquire about the job qualifications of the caregiver. While home health care providers do a background check of their staff, a patient or family member can read about reviews of the company and testimonials of patients and then decide.
    
4. Establish a good rapport with the caregiver!
   Also, personal interaction of the caregiver with the patient and the family of the patient is of utmost importance. If they don’t have a connection and the expectations aren’t set right, then the task ahead may become cumbersome. 

Care giving at home is growing in popularity, as it is a safe, convenient and relatively inexpensive method of helping your loved ones recuperate. It obviates the need to fret and fume over hospital visits and provides a wide range of services that can be customized according to the patient’s requirements. Some of the services offered include - nursing care at home for patients to help them with daily activities, delivery of medicines at door step, specialized care for patients suffering from autism, dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders, physiotherapists for patients suffering from post surgery trauma, fractures, arthritis, emergency care for those who are critically ill and generalized care for the old and aged. Home health care providers have well trained professionals working for them with years of experience. In their capable hands, rest assured that your loved ones would recover faster and safe at home.

Source: HealthCareAtHomeIndia