10 Reasons to Choose Home Health Care

The demand for home health care in the U.S. has grown in recent years, partially due to the increasing number of senior citizens. While seniors are living longer and often staying active for life, even the most robust of them sometimes need assistance, especially if they live alone and have reached an advanced age. Many turn to home health care as an alternative to hospitals or extended-care facilities. Technology such as telemedicine has made it possible for doctors to monitor patients without hospitalizing them. Agencies that provide home care offer services range from providing companionship to delivering advanced medical care.

10 Reasons to Choose Home Health Care
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1. Home Health Professionals Personalize Care

A hospital stay is rarely a patient's first choice, no matter how efficient an institution is or how caring the staff may be. To be effective, hospitals must run on schedules that are designed for efficiency, not patient convenience. The constant bustle can make sleep difficult, and patients have little or no control over their schedules. In contrast, agencies like Best Care Home Care can provide solutions tailored to each client.

Caregivers are attuned to their patients' wants, needs, and personalities and can adapt routines around them. They strive to minimize inconvenience and keep clients comfortable.

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2. Patients Gain Freedom and Independence

According to Medicare.gov, a primary goal of home health care is to help patients regain their independence. Maintaining a sense of freedom is essential for most patients and can be especially critical to the elderly.

Patients' attitudes have a lot to do with their overall well-being, and senior citizens are generally happiest and most comfortable when surrounded by the people and things they love. The elderly has often lived in the same homes for decades, and spending extended periods of time away can be traumatic. Home health care allows clients to remain in their homes, control their lives, and see friends and family whenever they want.

3. Professionals Offer Diet and Nutrition Help

Home care professionals get a more comprehensive view of patients' lifestyles than doctors could. An article in U.S. News and World Report points out that when doctors treat patients in medical facilities, they have no way of identifying poor nutrition issues. Home caregivers assess each patient and diagnose issues like seniors living on beans. Home health experts also create diet plans and ensure patients get the food they need to stay well.

4. Services Include Companionship and Socialization

Senior citizens and chronically sick patients are often isolated, which can negatively influence their health. It is a severe problem for older people, who often become lonely as their children move away and lose friends and family members.

Home health care agencies can typically provide aides or companions who offer socialization to assist patients with daily needs. They become welcome visitors who may take walks, play games, or talk to seniors. Many provide transportation that makes it easier for clients to shop, go to appointments, or get out of the house.

5. Doctors Can Monitor Patients Without a Hospital Stay

As telemedicine and other remote medical technology have evolved, the need for hospitalizations has decreased for many patients. In the past, doctors often admitted patients because it was the only way they could see and speak to them daily and monitor their vitals. Telemedicine cost offers an effective alternative to traditional in-person healthcare, as it eliminates the need for travel expenses and reduces medical facility overhead. With telemedicine, patients can access high-quality care from the comfort of their own homes, making it a cost-efficient solution for both healthcare providers and patients alike.

Home health professionals often provide personal care for patients who use wearable technology that monitors cardiac and respiratory functions. Instead of having patients make office visits, doctors can review readouts from wearable devices to evaluate patients and use telemedicine to speak to and see them.

6. Caregivers Can Help Make Homes More Accessible

Whether senior citizens want to age in place or patients' homes must be outfitted for changing medical needs, home health care professionals can help. Nurses and other medical personnel often share their observations with certified aging-in-place specialists who suggest alterations that make homes more accessible to the elderly or physically challenged.

7. Patients and Families Save Money

Chronically ill patients, those recovering from trauma, and the elderly often face the prospect of spending months or even years in extended-care facilities. Unfortunately, that can be expensive, and the amount that insurance pays may fall short.

In-home services provide a solution. Clients can arrange for just the care they need instead of paying for 24-hour services. Many also save money by shortening hospital stays. Patients can often recover just as well at home, with the necessary equipment and in-home health care.

8. Families Can Take a Break from Caregiving

It is common for family members to become caregivers for the elderly or relatives with long-term medical needs. However well-meant, the process can take its toll on caregivers. They may become exhausted, ignore personal needs, and have little time for their immediate families.

In-home care agencies help by offering respite care. Clients who need to attend to business, personal, and health needs can arrange short-term care. Many schedule respites services just so they can take much-needed vacations that allow them to rest, recharge, and get back to caring for loved ones with renewed enthusiasm.

9. In-Home Care May Reduce Hospital Re-admissions

Falls in hospitals are surprisingly common. Recuperating at home with in-home health care professionals' help can be a safer option. Home care can also help prevent injuries once patients leave hospitals. Many re-injure themselves when they underestimate their stamina or have balance problems. The elderly often falls simply because they are becoming frailer.

10. Health Care Professionals Can Provide In-Home Therapy

Patients don't always need to stay in hospitals or rehab facilities to receive occupational or physical therapy. Therapists can visit patients' homes, assess their environments, ensure they are safe, and help them recover.

Many patients who once faced long hospital stays now get most of their care at home. Home health care professionals offer services ranging from companionship to complex medical care. In-home care allows patients freedom, ensures a personal level of care, helps reduce hospital readmissions, and can cut medical costs. In-home caregivers ensure patients' homes are safe, provide nutritional help, and offer respite care to family members. Seniors can often stay in their homes for life with the help of home care professionals.