Home healthcare encompasses a wide range of medical care and assistance. A team of skilled professionals and administrators provide specialized care within patients’ homes under the direction of a physician. Services may include nursing care, rehabilitative therapy and assistance with personal care. Physicians often order home care after hospitalization or after a period of general mental instability. Not all home health agencies provide the same services. Patients and their caregivers are the people who choose a home health provider, so it is important to understand which services an agency provides before making a selection.
Home care can benefit patients in many ways:
- Quicker recovery time is in the home setting
- Convenience of regularly scheduled visits without leaving home.
- Privacy of care in the home rather than an office or exam room.
- Comfort of being in a familiar and safe place.
- Cost effective when compared with long-term hospitalization or nursing home stay.
Plan of Care
Alacare professional staff members perform an admission assessment and then develop an individualized plan of care for each patient’s specific needs. The patient’s physician orders all medications and treatments. Alacare staff regularly review the patient’s plan of care and promptly inform the physician of any changes in the patient’s condition that may call for alterations in the care plan. Patients and caregivers are also educated about the plan of care.
Patients have the right to refuse any medication or treatment provided by a home health agency. Alacare staff members will notify the patient’s physicians if any care is refused.
Skilled nurses, therapists, and aides provide in-home care according to physician directions.
