Tag: Caregiver

Intensive Care at Home: A win-win for patients and healthcare industry

A home is a place where people can be themselves. Nothing compares to the comfort of one’s own home. Patient care services assure you of this comfort. Trained professionals at your doorstep in your own comfort zones. Research shows that patients tend to recover better and faster when they are in familiar surroundings, especially their own homes rather than being constrained to a four-wall space.

Hospitals are severely overburdened especially in personalized and critical care. A survey says that 8.3% of total health spending in developed countries such as the US, in India constitutes a mere 3.6% depicting massive headroom for growth. Home healthcare will solve problems by allowing hospitals to focus on critical care needs while also establishing patient care services for both pre-and post-recovery at home. Doctors are also turning up to home healthcare and growing more supportive of home health care services. Receiving one-to-one attention and having a tailored care plan according to the patient’s special needs makes the treatment more effective and builds trust among the nurse at home, the patient, and their family. 

As per research, home healthcare or elderly care services can replace up to 65 % of unwanted hospital visits, cost up to 40% less than hospitals, and lower hospital operational costs by 20%. A hospital ICU patient pays around Rs. 35–50K per day, while a similar setup at home costs around Rs. 7.5 –10K per day. Studies have shown that recuperation time reduces by 15% when the patient is at home rather than at a hospital. Home nursing services are also growing in popularity for chronic disorders that require ongoing care like (neuro, stroke, paralysis, ortho, cardiac, diabetes, infertility, and so on), as well as for specific segments (senior citizens, special needs children, patients recovering from surgery etc.) A few years from now patients might get complex tests and diagnostics done at home itself. This will take the real care onto the next level benefiting both: the patients as well as the emerging home health care services in our country.

Home nursing services is a win-win combination for both patients and for various stakeholders, as it is emerging out in the Indian markets. For patients, it offers complete personalized professional care at their own homes offering lower convenience with low pricing as compared to hospitals. And for hospitals, it frees up beds faster allowing them to focus on patients with more severe health conditions. If you are a busy person who needs to conduct house and workplace chores, having a nurse at home who is available 24/7 to take care of your elderly, from personal cleanliness to ensure that they feel comfortable, is a benefit to your fast-paced existence. For patients who are bedridden, home nursing services are the best-personalized services that one can get. As we always want to give only the best for our loved ones.

Even you are relieved that your loved ones are comfortable in an atmosphere that they want to be in. Keeping you rest assured that they are under constant monitoring and under the experienced professional’s guidance, care, and support.

How to care for a bedridden patient?

If you are a busy person who must run house and office errands then having a nurse at home who is available 24/7 to take care of your elderly, from looking after their personal hygiene to ensuring that they feel comfortable is a positive advantage to your pacing lifestyle.

Being a working guardian and juggling to balance your work and personal life becomes difficult and tedious at times. Taking care of your bedridden elderly is a huge responsibility and should be done with utmost care and patience. Having a nurse at home to take care of your elderly is the best way to help yourself and your bedridden elderly. It’s extremely painful and disheartening to see your elderly parents bedridden. But ensuring that they are stable and comfortable is solely our responsibility.

Looking after their grooming and hygiene is extremely important to avoid any fungal infections, allergies, or diseases. A trained nursing caretaker will look into their daily bathing, dental care, making them wear their fresh clothes, keeping a check on their trimming of fingernails and toenails, haircut, and grooming. Bedsores (also known as pressure ulcer) are extremely common in bedridden patients, but the good news is that it is preventable. If the elderly spends majority of his/her time on the bed, ensure that you reposition them every few hours. If they can move on their own, then encourage them to move and readjust themselves quite often. Also make sure you stay alert on the common parts where bedsores are likely to occur e.g., ankles, heels the hip area and the tailbone.

Ensure that their bed linens are regularly changed and laundered. The trained nursing caretaker will take care of the proper nutritional care. They will monitor and record the meals to ensure they are getting in proper nutritional value and having balanced meals. Make their environment lively, comfortable, and fresh. So, they feel good in that environment around them. It is also extremely important to deal with the bedridden with utmost patience and care. Having a male ward boy nurse at home will help your elderly feel comfortable while taking them to use the washroom if they can make movements. A man’s physical strength is undoubtedly strong which will make them comfortable while relying on their strength for movements.

Let your children often visit your parents, talk to them, which will lighten the mood and make in a happy atmosphere for the bedridden elderly. A happy and positive and cheerful atmosphere is extremely important for them. Take some time out of your daily schedule and talk to them bout your day. If possible, try having a meal next to them or with them. Even you can read out the newspaper to them or play on their favourite songs. Never zone them out completely, don’t let them feel lonely. Make sure the place is reasonably well lit as per the need, the necessities are right at their bedside, and the place is well ventilated at all times. Reduce noise levels as far as possible. Take extra precautions during this pandemic. Always ensure their and your safety.

Apart from the above-mentioned points, one should also take expert advice, medical opinion, or help from professional home nursing services in case any other challenges are faced in caring for the elderly parents or other family members at home.

Why Choose Nurse At Home Instead Of Old Age Home?

Family is that one bond that lasts forever. No matter how old you become, no matter what your achievements are, no matter how far you are from them, your parents will always love you for who you are. When you cannot always be available for your old parents that is the time when you trust someone. And that someone will take your place when you are not available for your parents. That’s where caregivers/ caretakers come into the picture.
A sudden need of any urgency and you are relieved, your caregiver is there at that moment to ensure their needs are being met which will be lacking at an old age home. Because your caregiver is available 24/7, making you and them at ease. Also, it is very natural for you to worry about your parents, as they grow older, you think about how they will get along from day to day.

There are numerous advantages of having a trained, trusted, and responsible caregiver at home. They can make the elderly recover from an ailment, injury, post-surgery hassle-free and easy. This caregiver will also help the elderly with physiotherapy sessions at home. An elderly who is bedridden or unable to move freely will find it difficult to use the washroom or maintain personal hygiene which is taken care of by a trained nursing caretaker. Having a trained caregiver will ensure any mishappenings like falls, injury and ensure their safety in that feeble age of theirs. In addition, the elderly who stay at home tend to be physically and mentally healthier compared to old age homes.

For the elderly who are suffering from dementia, it is challenging to take care of them which requires knowledge, patience and understanding. Families, generally, lack the experience and skills to understand the age-related conditions and fail to care for their beloved ones properly. Also, it is quite painful to view your beloved parents deteriorate mentally. A Qualified nurse at home can provide a lot of support, as they understand the condition and have all skills and experience to deal with dementia patients rightly.

A medical survey has revealed that people who have a home nursing services facility at home live a longer life. Receiving emotional, physical, medical, and specialized care in their comfort zones helps senior citizens live healthier and longer life. Because no comfort zone can replace one’s own home. Especially your parents may be attached to a particular couch, a favourite chair, a favourite routine, or a favourite view from a specific corner in the house. Besides, relocating can be very stressful. Also, they are left with all the memories of us in that place, when remembered would make them feel nostalgic and happy which will lack at an old age home.
Because ‘IT FEELS LIKE HOME’, with a responsible and trusted nurse at home. You will definitely want to give your parents the best just like they did when you were young! So, consider these points before making a decision.

How can you help your senior family member bond with a caregiver?

Building a bond and relationship between your caregiver and your elderly is extremely essential. Establishing this bond and relationship will encourage open and honest communication which will work both ways out. Firstly, when you decide to bring in a nurse at home, it is very important to hire a professional from a Home Nursing Services Agency, who has experience in taking care of the elderly. If your elderly is suffering from dementia, ensure you hire a professional who has dealt with such patients rather than a newbie.

Caregivers often observe things that no one else does. So, make sure you listen to their observations and points with an open mind. The positive energy that you give to a caregiver that relationship will be awarded back! As it is important that even your caregiver feels at ease in the surroundings and when they deal with the elderly. You may also engage with some personalized activity session frequently between your caregiver and your elderly like watching some movie classics together, reading out their favourite book or poem to them, if your elderly can walk without support then going out to outdoor garden walks together, observing nature together etc., also the hobbies can always vary according to the elderly’s lifestyle and choices. This will create a bond of friendship and openness between the two and make their bond grow stronger. Because having a good companionship is a huge part which is required to fill the gap between the two.

As it is said, “Building relationships encourages independence, which has a positive impact on overall happiness.” Having cheerful and positive energy between the nurse at home and the patient, in turn, will aid in a fast recovery if your elderly are suffering from certain ailments or post-surgery recovery. Respecting and understanding each other’s personal space is also very important. It’s important for one to understand that caregiving or having elderly care services at home is one of life’s most difficult jobs. So, one must respect the person who is assigned to take care of the elderly and make sure you be polite to them. As they deal with these patients with the utmost care, empathy, and patience. They go through a lot more than you think.

The bond and the connection between a caregiver and the elderly can be achieved only over a period of some time. No relationship happens in a day or two so patience and time are the factors that one must keep in mind. As Pablo Casals says, “The capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” When handled in the right way, caring for a loved one can bring meaning and pleasure to you, your nurse in service and your elderly. Staying calm and relaxed and taking time to connect and know each other will release stress-free hormones which will reduce stress and aid to a good mood and speedy recovery. As one’s environment is also an important factor while creating that bond between your caregiver/nursing caretaker and your elderly.

Once that bond is made between your elderly and your caregiver, it will make them at ease and create a relationship of trust, empathy, and transparency.

Basic Duties And Responsibilities Of Home Nurse

When we think of a home nurse, the first thought that probably comes to mind is elderly care or caring for senior citizens. While this is the most common requirement, a home nurse can be helpful in many other cases too. Think about a high-risk pregnancy where the mother is completely bed-bound for several months. Maybe a young person has suffered a severe injury or accident and needs care and rehabilitation. Post-surgery care is quite common too, whether young or old. A home nurse can be helpful wherever there is a medical condition that needs special care, right from newborns to senior citizens.

So what does a home nurse really do? Think about all the things a patient needs in the hospital. Administration of injections and medication, charting of various parameters, reporting to the attending doctor, assistance with toileting and so much more. 

A home nurse is qualified to do all that and more in the comfort of one’s home, but let’s take a closer look.

Care plan

With healthcare at home, your home nurse can create an individualized plan of care based on his or her evaluation of the patient’s health, advice from the attending physician and the patient’s lifestyle. This care plan will be tailor-made to suit the patient and help them live up to their best potential.

Medication

Having a nurse at home means you will have assistance with monitoring and giving out medications, administration of injections or IVs, assistance with pain management and changing or draining of catheter or urine bag where necessary.

Wound management

With healthcare at home, the patient’s wounds (where applicable) can be cleaned and dressed at home itself.

Symptom watch

With certain conditions, family members may not be aware of certain symptoms, but a certified nurse at home will be alert and monitor all existing and new symptoms and vital signs. They will maintain a chart to see the patient’s progress.

Monitoring

Patient health will be closely monitored and the care plan will be updated accordingly.

Guidance

Your home nurse will be able to instruct both the patient and the family on proper home care guidelines. This will help you be aware of dos, don’ts and not to worry’s!

Safety

Due to their extensive training, they may be able to provide suggestions to improve safety at home as well as facilities to enhance their mobility such as handlebars and anti-skid mats in the bathrooms, organization of furniture to accommodate a walker or wheelchair and so on.

Coordination

A nurse at home will constantly be in communication with the patient’s physicians, dietician or other health advisors.

Support

Lastly, your nurse will be able to extend encouragement and support to the patient themselves as they grapple with their condition. This is important for the overall mental wellness of the patient.

The great thing about one on one care is that a patient is able to benefit from the same quality of qualification and experience as institutionalised care, but with a personal touch and individual attention. It’s no wonder home healthcare is growing today.

WHAT IS A CAREGIVER AND HOW CAN THEY HELP YOU OR A LOVED ONE?

Who comes to your mind when you think about the word ‘caregiver’? It may be a parent, a loved one or someone who you think of a kind, caring and nurturing and you’d be right! A caregiver, however, can also be one who has decided that they are going to be fully dedicated to caring for, looking after, and nurturing those who are ill and ailing – like rare treasures for those in need.

There are many situations where one would look out for amazing caretaker services like a caregiver for elderly or a patient that may have suffered major injury. When anyone suffers from crippling conditions due to illness, disease or injury, great caretaker services can be pivotal. How?

Well, think about an aging loved one. We all want the absolute best for our loved ones, but often, we may not be able to be at their back and call 24/7. We want to give them time, attention, and utmost care, but may have to divide our time between caring for them and keeping up with our other responsibilities. That’s where a caregiver for elderly comes in. A caregiver will always be dedicated to our loved one. They will be there to take care of the patient’s needs immediately without distraction or division of attention. The caregiver will ensure that the patient’s needs are being met round the clock and coordinate and liaise with you so that you’re up to date with all the occurrences. Your loved one will have the opportunity to feel safe, cared for and looked after as they battle their condition.

What makes them absolute gems is the fact that these caretakers have made it their mission to ensure that patients in a vulnerable and needy state are treated with kindness, dignity and are given the quality of life they deserve. They take joy and pride in pampering and showering the patient with the attention and tenderness that they need to remain in a healthy mind space. With the help of caregivers, social interaction and communication is maintained to avoid loneliness and depression, keeping the sick jovial and chirpy despite their difficult circumstances.

So how can the caregiver really help you or your loved one? It’s simple – they can do just about anything. They may help with daily basic tasks like getting dressed or feeding meals, but also more complex things like preparing meals, household chores, maintaining a hygienic environment. The caretaker may also help medically by monitoring the patient’s vitals periodically, coordinating with the attending doctor, keeping wounds clean and ensuring the right medicines are taken at the right time. On the pampering side, caretakers are often great at giving massages to stimulate the muscles, aiding with exercise to build strength, and dressing up the patient in a way that they always feel good and presentable. In short, they’re the jack of all trades that you need them to be.