HOME HEALTH CARE WHAT IT ENCOMPASSES
Home health care has certainly gained prominence in India over the past few years especially with Covid and associated lockdowns depriving a large number of chronic patients of appropriate medical help. Home service providers stepped in to fill a critical gap
Home healthcare is affordable and cost effective medical assistance provided at the convenience of one’s home offered by trained caregivers and medical professionals at the time of illness, injury or chronic conditions.
Home Health care primarily comprises three segments.
- a) Home health services- at-home nursing, caretakers, physiotherapy, laboratory and diagnostics and medical consults
- b) Home health devices- such as home monitoring devices, surfaces and ambulatory aids, therapeutic devices etc. which provides the congenial environment for monitoring of the patient health and providing assistance in ADL , or therapeutic and preventive devices which aid in maintaining / improving the patient’s condition
- c) Home health solutions- Telemedicine and tele-health where distances / disability / bedridden conditions prevent the patient from being easily moved to visit the nearest care facility or to increase the convenience for the patient.
WHY TAKE HOMECARE
The need for homecare could be as simple as assistance in activities of daily living, where the patient is limited either due to old age or some medical condition in successfully completing their day to day activities without assistance. In such cases specially in the Indian scenario the family support network comes into picture however where assistance is required for a longer duration or indefinitely such as in chronic conditions or in case of geriatric assistance this can be a burden even for the care provider in the family . In such cases a trained caretaker can create great relief for not only the family members but also provide consistent, timely, uninterrupted support to the patient and improve their quality of life and degree of independence.
Another reason for choosing Homecare could be where the degree of care required is beyond the scope of the family caregiver , in cases where care goes beyond just general care such as in cases where close monitoring is required , or where medical assistance and procedures are required, or a trained physiotherapist is required the family member alone no matter how diligent he or she may be will find it difficult to provide care without assistance of trained nurses and medical Practitioners.
For specific acute disease conditions or acute exacerbations or post-surgical care where short term services are required at the convenience of one’s home such as antibiotic therapy , wound dressing , orthopedic conditions such as low back pain , frozen shoulder etc. Though these services are also usually available at the nearest secondary or tertiary health care facility / Hospital. However time is a constraint or mobility is a constraint, or affordability or compliance is a constraint in such cases Homecare is an affordable option for patients.
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM HOME CARE?
Geriatric population especially those with a limited family support / network or with children abroad – As per NIA (National Institute of Ageing US)Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.
People who find themselves unexpectedly alone due to the death of a spouse or partner, separation from friends or family, retirement, loss of mobility, and lack of transportation are at particular risk.
A Caretaker in such cases does not only provide care and assistance but also provides companionship. Supportive services such as doctor visits at home , laboratory services at home , physiotherapy and geriatric rehabilitation etc. can also go a long way in monitoring closely the health of a loved one on a regular basis .
Long stay Immuno-compromised patients / or those at risk of Hospital acquired infections – there are a lot of times where patients at risk of hospital acquired infections are discharged once they are stabilized as their prolonged stay in the hospital itself can be a causative factor for further health complications. It is also a known fact that healing at home especially for the geriatric population can have much better clinical outcomes as compared to inpatient admissions (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179605/). In such cases setting up a supportive environment at home or providing care at home can be a very good option with better clinical outcomes. For chronic conditions or longstanding illness (especially in case of Stroke / Brain injury ) etc. once active medical treatment is done with , ICUs can be setup at home with nursing support and regular Doctor visits , which can not only lead to better clinical outcomes but also are more affordable
Post-surgical conditions – certain post-surgical patients require special care in terms of support due to limited mobility , or physiotherapy support or support in wound dressing and wound care in such conditions too Home Healthcare can a boon specially for patients who find it difficult to avail these services on Outpatient basis.
End of Life care – Medicine is but limited in its scope and we are all mortals. It is very difficult to loose someone close to you , but to see someone dwindle away day to day can take a great toll on the family and near and dear ones . Sometimes the hospital themselves inform the caretakers to take the patient home and take care of him / her , in other conditions such as cancer as the disease progresses end of life care becomes essential where the entire aim is to make the patient as comfortable as he or she can be . Be it pain management or support in breathing homecare is coming to the forefront in end of life care and can support even the family members through this tough time.
KS HOMECARE
KS Homecare is a Unit of Indus Healthcare creating an ecosystem for the patients of Indus Hospital to avail Home healthcare Services at the convenience of their home. It provides a full range of Home Healthcare services ranging from ICU setups at home, medical equipment rentals, Doctor Visits at home, Nursing care at home, Caretaker services, physiotherapy at home as well as supportive services such as Laboratory and diagnostic facilities at home, Tele-consultation and Medicine delivery. In lines with the diligent care and quality standards set by Indus Hospitals, KS Homecare provides “Expert Homecare you can Trust”.