Family and Community Health Nursing Course Lecture 11 Home health care

Home health care is the health services provided to individuals and families in their places of residence for the purposes of promoting, maintaining or restoring health, or of maximizing the level of independence, while minimizing illness.
The home care population-
The largest population needing home care is the elderly because dependency increases with age, dramatically so after 75. Another group needing home care is discharged acute care patients. Many of these are elderly persons who have been hospitalized with an episode of acute illness or disability and need convalescent home care. Other groups include babies and children with disabilities or individuals sent with monitors medication, IVs and various therapies.
Another sub population receiving home health care is "wellness home care group". These people do not require medical care but have concerns about their health and are receptive to health promotion and illness prevention strategies. They include diagnostic screening, educational counseling, daily living support services, exercise guidance, weight control and stress control.
Needs of home health care recipients-
Both long-term and acute care conditions require assistance that can be based on two categories-
1. It is services, and the other is
2. Supplies and equipments.
The professional care of nurses, physicians, aids and physical, respiratory, speech and occupational therapists meeting the first category of needs and they are a major component of home health care.
The second category is the need for supplies and equipments. They include oxygen and respiratory devices, durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, lifts, walkers, rehabilitation equipments such as hand grips; nursing care supplies such as disposable syringes and IV therapy supplies, oxygen concentration, vitamin and nutritional supplements.
Benefits of home health care-
Although home care is fairly new, it is often-
? The best alternative for clients
? It can offer a safer and more nurturing environment than the hospital
? Children at home have fewer infections and socialization occurs more rapidly.
? There is less chance of nosocomial infection in the home.
? Home environment allows for normal growth and development of the child and other family members