Home Care Becoming an Alternative to Hospitals for Proper Care and Treatment
For some, going to the hospital is one of the only ways they can get proper treatment for many chronic conditions and ailments. This can be costly, though. Not only is a hospital visit going to cost more, it can also tax the federal system (through Medicare and Medicaid Services) tremendously. Today, more hospitals and other care environments are turning to home care as a cost-effective option.
Patients in some regions across the country now have access to visiting nurses and even doctors who will come to their home to treat them. It not only provides more comfort than the traditional hospital setting, for those men and women who can’t physically make the trip to the hospital, it provides them a wonderful option to still stay on top of their overall health.
Another added benefit is that these visiting nurses and other home care professionals can more effectively help their patients understand proper care. By seeing them in their natural environment, seeing what kind of challenges may surround them or their own limitations, those nurses and doctors would be able to offer insight and advice.
In the Arkansas Matters blog, Health Matters: Home Health Care Network, writer Susanne Brunner noted:
“The goal of in-home care is to teach patients how to care for themselves. Oftentimes, it’s with a tele-health machine.
“They can check their own oxygen saturations, they can check their own temperature, they can check their own weights daily, And they can enter blood sugars daily,” [Registered Nurse Case Manager] Michelle [Gaunt] continues.
After the routine for more than a year, doctors recently told Shannon [Hitchens, battling Crohn’s Disease] she’s in remission and will be discharged.
Photos from trips, give Shannon a positive outlook on creating more memories. And while the door closes on home health care, she and Michelle have formed a special bond.
“I’m happy and fortunate to call Shannon my friend,” Michelle says.
“It was like having a member of your family take care of you,” says Shannon.”
At first, though, the comfort a person might feel could be limited, but as they become more accustomed to this (these) individuals stopping by their house, it can eventually feel normal, and even comfortable. When people feel empowered, when they have the right support, there’s a great chance their health will improve and that can lead to fewer hospital visits and reduced cost for not only insurers, but also taxpayers through Medicare and Medicaid.
| October 18, 2017
For more information about home care services, contact your local Generation Solutions office: Roanoke- (540) 776-3622 or Lynchburg- (434) 455-6500