What Type of Nursing Care does a Home Health Care Agency Provide?
Home health care agencies provide different kinds of nursing care that can be tailored according to the needs of the patients in their homes. These are, therefore, provided by either the registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nursing assistants depending on the level of care required.
Types of nursing care include:
1. Skilled Nursing Care: Skilled nursing care refers to a much more complex treatment that could be feasibly and safely provided by, or under guidance of professional licensed nurses. Such treatment can include wound care, injections, intravenous therapy, watching the medical equipment and body signs, and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart diseases.
2. Medication Management: Medication management is also administered where the nurse educates the patient about their drugs and ensures that the drugs are taken rightly and on time, watchful for side effects or drug interactions.
3. Pain Management: Nurses work with patients and physicians to formulate a plan of care focusing on pain management-medication and other interventions-physical therapy.
4. Post-operative Care: Nurses assist in the management of wound care, pain, mobilization, and monitoring for signs of infection/complications after surgery.
5. Chronic Disease Management: Nurses in chronic conditions - COPD, heart failure, and kidney disease-manage care to control symptoms and prevent exacerbations.
6. Education and Training: Nurses educate the patients and their families about how to take care of the patient in a home setting, such as nutritional counseling, education on the disease, and lifestyle adjustments.
7. Palliative Care: Nursing care is focused on alleviating symptoms and stress while enhancing the quality of life for those patients with serious diseases.
8. Care Coordination: Nurses coordinate care among the patient, family members, doctors, and other health care providers towards a holistic approach.
Home health care nursing is designed to be flexible and to offer as much or as little care as is needed by a patient to remain safely and effectively at home while recovering from an illness or managing a chronic condition.
