Types of Services Offered by Home Healthcare Professionals
At home healthcare workers give personal help and long term care to many patients with various medical conditions or disabilities. These workers, usually including home healthcare aides, home companion care nurses or personal/household care assistants, are either employed in individual patients’ homes or in community-based programs like group homes. In a group home setting, these workers would be in charge of one patient, while in an individual home they would be responsible for several patients. Their services would also differ according to the nature of the disorder of the patient. For instance, if the patient is confined to bed, they would either be responsible for managing the bed and the environment in which the patient sleeps, or for providing personal care and assistance in bathing. They might even have to bathe and feed the patient on a regular basis.
On the other hand, in case of long-term in home care, they would be in charge of an individual patient who is often bedridden or has problems in swallowing food. However, in the case of home healthcare aides, they can work in nursing homes, convalescent homes, acute care centers, rehab centers, private homes and hospitals. The services that they render depend upon their education, licenses, training and experience. Generally, certification and licenses are not mandatory for in home caregivers and aides. However, some states do require home healthcare agencies to provide training, on the job training and to register their workers with Medicare and Medicaid.
There are different types of home healthcare professionals. These caregivers include licensed vocational nurses (LPN), licensed social workers (PSW), certified nursing assistants (CNA), and licensed physical therapist aides. Some states also permit registered nursing assistants to perform some duties. Home healthcare professionals can also specialize in certain fields such as in geriatric care, chronic care management, home health care, and home visitation.
Certified home healthcare aides in long-term care facilities are usually those who have been with the long-term care centers for several years. They are usually the ones who take care of the elderly, patients who can’t move around too much, blind and deaf patients, and children who have special needs. They help these patients maintain independence by assisting them in performing daily activities such as taking a bath, eating, using the toilet, or getting dressed. In addition, they help them carry their own personal belongings or those of family members. They need to be cheerful and polite, since they might be contacted many times in a day. Their duties include feeding, bathing, and sometimes dressing a patient who can’t communicate or can’t manage his or her own affairs.
Live-in caregivers, on the other hand, provide assistance in order to make the residents in long-term care facilities independent. Live-in caregivers are the ones who stay in the home with the resident in order to assist him in activities of daily living. These live-in caregivers include both adults and children who live with an adult who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or similar problems. Some long-term care facility caregivers are also involved in managing the daily needs of the residents.
Community-based care services are provided by healthcare professionals and community organizations. The term community-based care services refers to care that takes place in the same environment. It is usually offered in a setting that is not personalized, although it may have individualized touches. It may involve assistance with physical activities, occupational tasks, and even medical procedures.
Another type of service that healthcare professionals offer includes professional indemnity insurance. Professional indemnity insurance is an agreement between a healthcare professional and the individual who has contracted the services of that healthcare professional. The individual will pay a specified sum of money each time that the healthcare professional makes a mistake. This insurance helps ensure that healthcare professionals will be covered in the event of an injury that they have made while providing nursing care for a loved one.
There are several other types of services that include, but are not limited to, companionship care services and in-home health aide services. It is very easy to see how these two different types of services can play a huge role in keeping senior citizens happy and independent. However, there are certain concerns that should be addressed before one turns to either one of these professionals. Choosing a licensed in home healthcare professional, especially one with experience can make a world of difference in the care of an elderly loved one. There are many things to consider when choosing a professional, such as location and the number of years that they have been in business.