The Concept of Home-Based Health Care
Home-Health care is the holistic and comprehensive care of individuals with chronic diseases or terminal illnesses extended from the hospital or health care facility to the patients’ homes through family participation in collaboration with health care workers.
The concept of home health care does not just manage any disease or illness but also helps patients regain their strength and well-being.
Objectives of a Home Healthcare program
The main goals of the home health care program are:
- To encourage the continuity of individual’s care from the health facility to the home.
- To promote family and society awareness of disease prevention and care related to chronic conditions and illnesses.
- To empower the clients and their family members with the knowledge needed to ensure long-term care and support.
- To increase the acceptability of terminally ill patients by the family, hence reducing the negativity associated with the chronic disease.
- To facilitate quality home care.
- To mobilize the resources necessary for the sustainability of the service.
Principles of Home Health Care
To ensure that the primary benefits are realized, home health care should be regarded as a holistic care system with the following principles. The principles of home-based health care include the following:
- To ensure appropriate, cost-effective access to quality health care and support to enable individuals to retain their self-sufficiency and maintain quality of life.
- To encourage active participation and involvement of the patient and their family in the treatment and care.
- To ensure social assistance to elderly patients.
- To minimize the physical and mental trauma that can come with the prolonged diagnosis of the terminally ill.
- To ensure respect for fundamental human rights.
- Initiating measures to ensure the economic sustainability of home-based health care.
In home health care, the care of the patients is extended from the hospital or health facility to their homes. This, therefore, implies that these patients require specific services. These services form the components of home-based nursing care.
Nursing care
Individuals needing home-based health care need nursing care to promote and maintain good health, hygiene, and nutrition. The nurse’s responsibility is to provide this care in the comfort of their homes. With nurses at home, the continuum of care is extended to our homes.
Nursing care in the context of home-based health care applies at all levels, from hospitals down to our homes, depending on the patient’s individual needs. When individuals fall sick, both the body and the mind are affected, which, in turn, affects their ability to carry out their daily chores.
Components of Nursing Care
- Activities to ensure good personal hygiene.
- Care for the client’s environment.
- Preventing the transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms.
- Physiotherapy
- Pain management.
- Administering medicines as per prescription to ensure timely intake and proper dosage.
- Maintaining the nutritional status of the client.
- Observe clients to detect problems like dehydration, dyspnea, dysphagia, edema, or fever.
- Taking the patient to the hospital or health facility when the need arises.
- Reassuring the client at all times.
As we know, in old age most people feel unwell and lonely due to some circumstances of life. In these situations, home care is the best solution for many families. It provides comfort and makes them feel independent.
Nurse at home in Chennai is not only for old age persons; some people who are disabled, have some health issue, or are mentally depressed can also use home care and live their life better.
How to Choose a Caregiver
- Firstly, figure out the type of help your loved one needs, and once you realize what they need, start looking for someone who offers those healthcare services.
- Find out how they train their employees and whether they do background checks.
- Before you book your service, request the fee schedule. Rates differ based on the type of service you need and the term you need. There may be hourly charges, daily charges, and even 24-hour-care charges.
- Using a good home care service provider, find the necessary caregiver. Homecare service providers provide trained and skilled professionals and can find immediate backup care if your caregiver gets sick or is unavailable.
- Make a checklist and be very clear about what you need and what you expect them to do so there is no confusion about the services you need.
- Find out how they handle complaints or issues of poor service.
- Find out about the caregiver’s job history and the training that qualifies them to be caregivers. Pay attention to how professional they are.