Research has shown that recovery can be faster at home than in the hospital, especially if specialized, good-quality home health care is available to patients. Older adults may not admit that they are struggling because they don't want to lose their independence. One of the main benefits of home health care is that it helps older adults continue to perform everyday tasks, such as walking, bathing, dressing, and preparing meals. This way, they can live independently at home for as long as possible. Research shows that older adults recover faster and with fewer complications at home than in a hospital.
They don't have to worry about finding someone to drive them to their appointments or interrupting their normal routine. Home health care provides personalized care in the comfort of home and, at the same time, makes the home environment safer. Today, advances in healthcare have enabled patients from all walks of life to receive care from the comfort of their homes. Hospitals that discharge patients and doctors who continue to care for them after discharge often don't know what caregivers and home care nurses need to support the patient. Home care nurses provide a valuable service to their patients by helping them stay healthier, reducing costs, and helping them avoid hospitals and long-term care centers.2—8.Home care is one of the fastest-growing segments of the elderly care market, and there are a variety of different home care options offering everything from light household chores to skilled nursing. These include information about medication regimens, details about the severity of the patient's condition, information about hospital discharge, non-drug care regimens, such as wound care or home safety, the extent of care needed at home, and which providers are best suited for that care.
About 13% of patients receiving home care experience an adverse effect9,10 The highest proportion of adverse events that occur among home care patients are drug-related, and between 20 and 33% have a problem with medication or an adverse event with medication11,112. One of the main benefits of home health care is that people can continue to do everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and preparing meals. Trusting patients and caregivers to obtain vital information makes it difficult for these nurses to work and puts patients at risk. Usually, none of these communications are automated or standardized, and the communication of this information is highly dependent on the patient and caregivers. For patients who have suffered an injury or illness that affects mobility or daily activities, home health care helps them in the rehabilitation process. Whether it's specialized nursing care for a chronic illness or physical therapy after an injury, these extensive services are specialized for each patient's unique needs.
Home care nurses often know these things and would like to see improvements in care transitions, communication and interventions17. If home health care is something they recommended to you or a loved one, you may be wondering what benefits you can expect. For patients with chronic conditions, injuries or illnesses, appropriate care instructions can help control symptoms and prevent complications. Home care nurses experience inadequate communication of basic patient information between the hospital, primary care, and home care after hospital discharge14.
