Home Care Facts

By: Michael Colucci
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:20:55
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Home care is a type of health care that is provided in the home of the patient. While it may sometimes be provided by doctors and nurses, it may also be provided by family members as well. While home care will often refer to people who are not medically trained, the term home health care will often refer to treatment that is given to the patient in their homes by licensed doctors or nurses. In the Unite States, both terms are used to refer to care that is given by both non-licensed caregivers and doctors or nurses.

The purpose of home care is to allow a patient to receive care at home instead of being admitted to an institution such as a hospital. The health care professionals will visit the patient, and will help them with a number of different tasks. Some of these tasks include dressing, hygiene, shopping, cooking, or assistance with taking medication. The type of home care that is offered will vary in different nations. For example, there are substantial differences in home care between the United States and The United Kingdom. In the US, health care professionals will visit the patient based on a schedule that is determined by a doctor who is licensed.

The insurance the patient has will also play a role in this as well. In the UK, the care will be provided two times a day. The US is one of the most informal places to receive home care. The vast majority of care that is given to a patient will be provided by their friends or family. Some of the professionals that may work with these families are social workers, mental health specialists, and respiratory therapists. In some cases, the primary doctor may visit patients. In most situations, home care will be paid by either employer insurance or public organizations such as Medicaid or Medicare. The patient or their families may also pay as well.

To determine the amount of care a patient needs, there are six factors that must be taken into consideration, and these are called activities of daily living. These activities are eating, restroom usage, dressing, bathing, walking, and transferring. In addition to these factors, a patient may also need help shopping, cooking, or handling their own money. To be a home care worker, there are a number of qualifications that a person must have. They must have a high school diploma or GED, and some organizations will require workers to have a year of experience, and they will need to take examinations.

Home care workers must understand safety procedures, and they must also know how to properly give personal care. They should be skilled with using equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, or lifts. They should understand the importance of being sanitary, and they should be proficient in preparing or handling food. In addition to this, health workers must be able to monitor and record any changes in the condition of the patient they're caring for. A lot of the necessary requirements involve common sense. Many people who become home care workers will have experience working in Nursing homes, and may become Certified Nursing Assitants as well.

Michael Colucci is a writer for Home Care which is part of the Knowledge Search network.

Article source: Expert Articles