Does My Elderly Loved One Need Both a Caregiver & a Nurse?

If your elderly loved one cannot cope on their own, they could certainly benefit from home care in West Hollywood. Owing to the evolution of home care, it has become the number one senior care option. As long as you prepare your elderly loved one for the caregiver’s arrival, the introduction of home care becomes a life-changing experience, one that is bound to change your loved one’s life for the better.

But what if your elderly loved has reached an advanced age? They might not need constant medical attention but they might need a nurse to check up on them every once in a while. Should you hire a nurse in addition to a caregiver?

What does home health care do for patients?

Home health care is typically provided to patients living at home so as to prevent hospitalization. These are patients who require care on a regular basis that a caregiver cannot provide, such as administering shots. However, in some cases, home health care can be aimed at providing care to patients following a hospital treatment, so as to promote their faster recovery.

Is Home Health considered acute care?

In short, it is not. A home health care nurse and an acute care nurse work in entirely different work settings. The primary goal of acute care is to ensure the hospitalized patient is well enough to leave the hospital and go home. Home health care is aimed at preventing hospitalization or other forms of long-term care by providing comprehensive health care to the patient in their own home.

Likewise, the difference is that acute care is not optional: the patient’s condition is acute and severe and medical attention is therefore a necessity. When it comes to home health care, it is usually the family of an elderly person who decide to hire a home health care nurse.

In case of acute care, the nurse:

• provides care in a hospital environment
• has direct contact both with the patient and the attending physician
• cares for patients recovering from surgery, injury or illness
• usually cares for a few patients on account of the severity of their condition

On the other hand, when it comes to home health care, the nurse is:

• independent for the most part
• required to make assessments on her own
• solely responsible for the patient, although contacting the physician by phone is an option
• usually provides care to the elderly in poor health and/or suffering from chronic illnesses
• typically manages multiple patients on a daily basis by visiting them at home

What does a home health nurse do on their visits?

Unlike acute care nurses, which require constant supervision of and consultations with other healthcare professionals, predominantly the attending physician, a home health nurse works alone. However, both types of nurses might need to constantly collaborate with other healthcare professionals, depending on the patient’s case.

Although acute care nurses have to work under pressure, they can count on the support of other medical professionals. Likewise, they are likely to have limited time with the patient and might never see them again. On the other hand, due to the minimal support that home health care nurses get, they must be comfortable enough to make decisions on their own. They are also far more likely to create lasting bonds with their patients.

Among other things, a home health nurse will likely:

• Assess the patient’s health
• Make an individual care plan and update it from time to time
• Clean and dress wounds, if any
• Detect and record the patient’s symptoms & vital signs
• Monitor the patient’s health
• Give instructions to the patient’s caregiver and/or family members

Experienced providers of home care in West Hollywood: a phone call away

Here at A Better Way in Home Care, we work tirelessly to find professional caregivers who have the clients’ best interests at heart. Our main goal is to ensure that the elderly who rely on us for help and assistance can enjoy a peaceful life in their own home, even if they suffer from debilitating illnesses such as dementia.

We match the elderly with compassionate caregivers who will be by their side at home, keep them company at the Kings Road Park or help them to the grocery store. Reach out to us so we can work together and make your elderly loved one’s life better and more fulfilling.