Get well sooner from the comfort of your Home

What is meant by healthcare at home? 

Healthcare at home encompasses providing all professional medical support services at home. There are people with certain conditions that require support in carrying out their day to day activities and home care service providers are intent on providing them with the same. People who have aged, are affected by any disability, or have recently undergone surgery, require professional care at their homes. The home care provided by nurses, aides, and doctors can either be short term or long term. 

Sometimes, people can also be in need of companionship, physiotherapy, rehabilitative services, and counseling sessions at home. The aim of home care services is to enable people to acquire quality healthcare within the safe confines of their homes. 

What are the various types of home care health services? 

Depending on the types of services provided by the duration, home care services can be divided into three categories: 

1. Personal care and Companionship 

Under this category, healthcare professionals help the individual with the most basic day-to-day activities such as bathing, doing household chores, dressing up, eating etc. This helps the patient to get a sense of routine, confidence, and independence. Some of the other home care  services included in this category are: 

• Grooming oneself 

• Using the restroom 

• Ensuring patient safety and preventing any fall (from the wheelchair or otherwise) 

• Simply accompanying someone in their household chores, favorite activities, etc. 

• Helping and ensuring the safety of a patient with Alzheimer’s Disease 

2. Nursing Care 

Nursing staff provides long term healthcare services, usually on an hourly basis. This is suitable for patients who need professional medical help at home for ventilator care, kidney dialysis, and tracheostomy care. It can also involve shift nursing and adult nursing. 

Some of the common services included under this category include: 

• Monitoring vital signs of a patient 

• Administering medicines according to professional supervision 

• Catheter care 

• Catastrophic care 

• Feeding tube care

• Treatment of conditions related to the brain and spinal cord 

3. Home Health Care 

This involves attaining intermittent short term medical care, meant to help a patient recover from an illness or a physical injury. Services considered to be a part of this category include: 

• Visiting nurse service to check the recovery progress 

• Physiotherapy to recover from a fracture or other physical injuries/abnormalities 

• Speech therapy 

• Occupational Therapy 

• Postnatal care 

• Medical Social Work 

What do home healthcare providers generally do? 

Home healthcare providers most commonly keep your vitals in check after you have undergone a surgery or injury, promote you to indulge in your favorite activities and household chores, help you in carrying out tasks, etc. They are likely to check your blood pressure, investigate if you have pain, ensure your safety, check that you are taking prescribed medications on time, keep your diet in check, provide you with professional medical assistance such as dialysis and ventilator care, etc. The specific role of a healthcare provider depends on the needs of the seeker. Basically, they can provide medical help ranging from basic day to day support and companionship, to critical life support mechanisms. 

What are some of the common questions that one should ask about their home care providers? 

• Is the agency properly licensed to provide home care services? 

• What are the credentials of the healthcare provider coming to your home? 

• Is the agency familiarized with the healthcare provider and does he/she have a positive attitude? 

• How much does the aide charge for the care being provided? 

• What procedures are in place for emergencies? 

• What is the network and procedure of problem-solving if the care seeker may face one? 

Where can I find the best home care services near me? 

Credihealth is an online healthcare portal for all your hospital appointment bookings, diagnostic test bookings, for ordering medications, or healthcare at home in India. Credihealth offers all sorts of authorized home care services one might need. View our home care services page, if you wish to apply for and seek quality healthcare at home from trained professionals. If you have any inquiries or consultation needs, our in-house medical experts can help solve them and guide you towards the right doctor, medical aides, and nursing staff.