Home Health Care Services: What You Need to Know
Your mom fell and broke her hip. She’s going in for surgery, and you know her recovery will take time. During the weeks and months ahead, her emotional and medical needs must be addressed to ensure her path to a full recovery is well supported. Home health care is a great place to start.
Therapy Sessions Take Place at Your Mom’s Home
Your mom’s going to need time before she’s walking without a walker or cane. She’ll work with a physical therapist to build strength and balance. Instead of getting into a car and requiring someone to drive her to her therapist’s office, the therapist can come to your mom’s home.
Physical therapy sessions occur in a setting where your mom feels comfortable. You won’t have to find a way to get her out of your smaller car several times a week.
Nurses Provide Health Assessments
After a fall and hip replacement surgery, your mom may feel trapped at home. It’s harder to get into a car and go out shopping. She can walk around, but not for extended amounts of time, and not on uneven terrain for now.
Going for a walk around her yard or neighborhood is risky until her physical therapist clears her for that level of exercise. She may start to feel isolated and that can lead to anxiety and depression if her feelings are ignored.
A home health care nurse can assess her mental health and talk to her medical team if problems are detected. If she needs to have more company, you’ll know and can arrange companionship services to make sure your mom can remain engaged and active in her home.
Nurses also track blood pressure, pulse, and other readings at the doctor’s request. If your mom’s blood pressure drops after taking a prescription pain medication, her medications and doses can be adjusted. Plus, there’s a nurse with training to help her if she gets dizzy or passes out.
Nurses Administer Medications
Whatever medications your mom takes are administered by her home health care nurse. She has a nurse there to help with side effects or discuss adverse reactions with her doctor if they occur. If a prescription needs to be changed, it’s possible to take care of it then and there with the help of a skilled nurse.
If your mom needs IV fluids or infusions, a nurse can set them up and administer them right there. Your mom won’t have to return to the hospital or a medical clinic.
Ask Her Doctors For Input
Before your mom leaves the hospital, talk to her surgical team for post-operative care instructions. She’ll likely need to work with a physical therapist and occupational therapist for several weeks. She may need to have incisions to keep dry and clean.
Also, she is going to need to slowly rebuild strength and flexibility and may experience some pain. Which means she’ll be taking medications to help ease that pain.
Do everything you can to help your mom recover from her fall. Home health care services provide the medical expertise she needs for physical therapy, wound care, and medication administration.
Talk to a specialist in home health care services after asking her doctors what her recovery is going to entail.