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How Can a Home Care Nurse or Aide Help You With An Aging Loved One?

By Pam Witt

When an individual needs extra care or assistance in their home, a home care agency may provide the support they need. Nursing home care may be delayed or avoided with the assistance the agency can provide. They can help with recovery from illness or accident and can help shorten the time it takes to restore the individual’s health.

Things an Agency’s Home Care Aide or Nurse Can Do

An aide will be able to provide daily task and daily care assistance. They can help with reality orientation for confused individuals. They can also assist the client with exercise and help them follow a special diets. A home care nurse can provide more advanced medical care such as assessments, medication, and some therapies.

Home care agencies may provide the types of care you need including short-term illness or accident recovery, assistance for those with a decline in ability, and long-term care for recovery or end-of-life illnesses.

Aides:

Aides may help by preparing simple meals and snacks.
They may help with bathing, personal hygiene, and hair care.
They can help with dressing.
Aides can do light housekeeping.
They may run errands.
They may take the client to appointments.
They will also serve as a companion to the individual and will provide them with conversation as well as read books to them upon request.

Nurses:

Can administer medication.
They can set up medication and write out a medication schedule for the individual or family member to use on their own.
They can do patient health care assessments.
They can provide some therapy’s including cognitive, breathing exercises, occupational, and physical exercises.
Nurses can do wound care and change dressings.
They can provide direction for the family to help with those who are bed-ridden and can do skin assessments to prevent skin breakdown and damage.

Using a home care agency when someone begins to show signs of needing additional care can help families restore their former balance. It can also relieve some of the stress of both the client and the family which accompanies illness and injury. Finding a home care aide or nurse can be as easy as looking online for available agencies in the area, asking a family member or a friend for a recommendation, and even scheduling a consultation with a home care provider.

Photo Credits: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Female Nurse: stockimages

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About Pam Witt

Pam Witt is a licensed RN and has more than 32 years of experience in the caregiving, home care, home health and healthcare industries. She has more than 10 years of successful marketing experience with one of the largest healthcare software companies in the world. Pam’s philosophy is that “life is a gift” and it should not be wasted. Pam’s main objective through the NAPHC and ProfessionalHomeCare.org is to make a positive impact in the home care, home health and home hospice industry by providing the best information and training available.