When are Home Health Care Services Needed?

How do you know when home health care services are needed? Your mom’s doctor is the best source of information. Generally, the need arises when she’s diagnosed with a health issue or has undergone surgery. When she’d benefit from having nurses, therapists, or dietitians come to her home, it’s time to address this type of care.

What Services Do Home Health Care Professionals Offer?

Home health care offers three main areas: nursing care, therapies, and nutrition/diet. Learn more about how these services help your mom.

One is to have nurses come by your parents’ home to help with medical tasks like medication administration, wound care, IVs, injections, recording vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, oxygen stats, etc.), and communicating everything to the doctor.

Caregivers visits can be with an occupational, physical, or speech therapist. After a stroke, your mom may have many skills to regain to return to her post-stroke activities. You’re not trained to help with that.

If the stroke left your parent partially paralyzed, restoring movement in the arm and leg on one side of the body takes work. Speech may be affected. Eating a meal can be impossible without relearning how to use a fork, knife, and spoon again.

Therapists can help your mom learn new ways to handle skills that won’t return. If your mom needs a wheelchair for the rest of her life, she’ll need to learn how to shower when she’s in a wheelchair. She may also need to learn how to use a wheelchair ramp or stairlift.

These services also include visits from dietitians. Suppose your mom has been diagnosed with diabetes. She has to learn how to make meals that keep her blood sugar levels low. A dietitian comes to her home, goes through her pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with her to eliminate unhealthy options. She’ll learn what to make and how to manage unhealthy cravings.

Questions to Keep in Mind

Talk to your mom’s doctor about her need for home health care services after a diagnosis or surgery. Take notes and bring the information to the others in your family. Work together to figure out what others can help with and where home care services are needed.

With the doctor’s guidance and family input, you’ll be able to discuss services and make arrangements that match her needs. Once you have the care needs in mind and have a list of questions, call our home  care agency to schedule visits.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Health Care Services in South Sacramento CA please contact the caring staff at Aging Assistant today. (916) 897-4752