A few blogs ago, I detailed the role of occupational therapy and speech language as home health providers.
Here are a few other services Specialized Home Care and Hospice provides in the home:
Respiratory therapy (RT). They work on acquiring, setting up, and managing medical equipment related to breathing like a C-PAP machine, oxygen equipment, medication management for chronic diseases such as COPD, CHF, asthma. The goal is for the patient to improve their breathing, sleep better, and safety in the home with varying devices. But there’s an even greater aspect to RT in the home.
“Education for patients is the most important aspect of an RT in home health,” said Lucy, RT for SHC. “Patients being able to understand their disease process allows for them to be compliant with every day routine. “As patients understand their disease they are able to further understand how crucial making life changes can be for their health and future. Every home health should offer RT because it plays a role in every other discipline as a whole.”
Skilled nursing. Skilled nurses in the home setting provide education on medication management, setting up medication schedules (like pill planners), communication with physicians regarding a patient’s health status, medication issues/changes or follow-up appointments, wound and catheter care, diabetes/chronic disease management, transitions to hospice care, or sending a patient out to the emergency department for further evaluation.
“What a good nurse provides for a patient while on home health is being an advocate for your patient constantly,” said Alishia, LPN for SHC. “Helping to be that buffer between the doctor and the patient and explaining disease process, medication management or wound care in terms they can understand. Continuity of care between all disciplines so that the patient is always aware of what is going on.”
Of course, every discipline in home health should work together in our main objective: keeping people healthy and out of the hospital and in their homes.
-Michael, PTA