How Home Health Care Helps Seniors Recover From A Heart Attack
When seniors are released from the hospital following a heart attack they often still have a long recovery in front of them. Most seniors want to recover at home in familiar surroundings where they can be comfortable. But, they will probably need medical monitoring and other medical services for quite some time. Home health care can help your senior parent recover at home after a heart attack.
What Is Home Health Care?
Home health care is medical care provided to seniors at home by a licensed nurse or medical professional. It’s a fantastic option for seniors who can’t easily get to medical appointments at a medical office or a hospital. Seniors who are recovering from a hospital stay often get home health care so that they don’t have to deal with the stress and aggravation of going to follow up medical appointments.
Monitoring Vital Signs
A home health care can monitor your senior parent’s vital signs to make sure that there is no change in their blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation levels that is a cause for concern. The nurse can document your senior parent’s vital signs at regular times to help their doctor chart how their recovery is going.
Medication Management
After a heart attack and surgery your senior parent is probably going to be on several medications. A home nurse can make sure your senior parent gets their medication on time. And they can track any side effects that your senior parent is experiencing. If your senior parent has a bad reaction to any of the medications they can alert your senior parent’s doctor and get replacement medications.
Incision Care
If your senior parent had angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting they will need to have skilled incision care to keep the incision free from bacteria and infection. A nurse can give antibiotics if necessary, keep the incision clean, and make sure its healing properly.
Lifestyle Change Coaching
As your senior parent recovers a home health care provider can talk with your senior parent and with you and your family about the changes that your senior parent needs to make. Lifestyle changes like diet changes and getting more activity are usually necessary. So, it can be helpful for seniors to get professional advice to help them make those changes.
Emergency Care
Seniors who are recovering at home from a heart attack have an increased risk of having another heart attack, or a stroke. If your senior parent suffers from a major medical emergency like another heart attack or stroke a home health care provider can call for EMS and make sure they get emergency care on their way to the hospital.
If your senior parent falls at home while they are recovering the home nurse can also make sure that you senior parent goes to the hospital quickly to get help for any injuries caused by the fall.