Skilled Nursing Services Offered Through Home Health Care
Home health care for seniors can describe a variety of different caregiving services—some of which are nonmedical, like meal preparation and companionship. Other times, seniors may need more care than what a certified caregiver can provide, services that require medical training. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will need to hire a doctor to be available to your loved one, at any time, day or night, but medical training is a specialty that not every professional caregiver has. If your loved one does have serious medical needs, whether temporary or lifelong, you may want to consider a registered nurse for them. While the cost can be substantial, you can’t place a price on the comfort and health of a loved one, and your own peace of mind. If your loved one does need a nurse to assist them, you do have options. You can have an hourly nurse that stops by every day for a couple of hours, or a nurse that is with your loved one from morning through evening. Making the right decision for your loved one should involve their doctor, the rest of your family, and of course, your loved one that needs care. If your loved one doesn’t necessarily need around-the-clock care, there are just as many options available for care for them.
1. Post-Surgical Care
It’s not easy to go from someone being there for you and for your needs to having to take care of yourself completely. After a major injury, or major surgery, you’ll be in need of a little extra care. A caregiver or nurse can be made available to you to help you transition from hospital care to caring for yourself. Post-surgical care can include caring for the site of a surgery, preparing food, or even assisting with getting in and out of bed, and changing sheets.
2. Wound Management
You’ve been injured, and you may have had surgery to repair the damage. You may have questions about what you’re supposed to do next, or your may not feel confident that you can take care of the site yourself, putting yourself at risk for an infection. While an infection doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never recover, it’s ideal to prevent it before it happens. Having a nurse to assist you in proper care for your wound is something that could save you from having to go back to the hospital.
3. Medication Management
You don’t need a medical professional to help you manage your medication, but you do need a medical professional to administer it for you. If you’re in need of assistance with remembering, organizing, or storing your medication, you might benefit from the help of a caregiver. Caregivers aren’t medical professionals, but they can make your life easier.
4. Administration of Intravenous Medications
Sometimes, friends and family member have to take responsibility for a loved one’s care. If this is the case, a registered nurse may teach others how to safely and properly administer intravenous medications. After learning how, others around the person in need of care can be can be of more assistance, and may eliminate the need for nurse to be around all of the time.
In need of specialized care for yourself or a family member in the Bay Area? Click below for more information on how we can help you live more comfortably at home.
