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October 21, 2020
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone truly understood all the hard work, dedication, and perseverance you put into your job every day? Most people have no idea all of the hard work and dedication others put into their particular craft. When it comes to home health care support services, very few people really understand what these workers do for their clients.
They often lump all home care support services together, including visiting nurses along with home care aides.
Home care aides are certainly invaluable resources and assets for aging men and women and disabled adults who wish to remain home, even if they have limited mobility or are facing chronic health issues. However, home care aides are generally not registered nurses or even certified nursing assistants.
They can’t administer medications, check vital stats and relay that information to the patient’s doctor, or perform other medical tasks. They can assist a person getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and even preparing a meal, but when it comes to medical necessities, a home care aide is generally unable to offer that level of support and assistance.
Why home health care is so important.
Even under the best circumstances, home health care has been a growing and invaluable asset helping people recover and get healthy at home as opposed to remaining in a hospital or other long-term care facility.
Increasing numbers of people prefer to age in place, which means as they get older they want to be home, even if they are dealing with some type of physical limitation or health issue. Home health care makes that possible, especially for those who might be recovering from a serious medical emergency, surgery, injuries sustained in an accident, or who have other direct needs.
Home health care providers would love it if more families truly understood the difference between the various levels of care and support. Some people get upset when they hire a home health care nurse to support their elderly mother or father, but realize this individual isn’t assisting with light housekeeping, washing the dishes, or offering transportation services.
That isn’t the primary job description for many home health care nurses and other practitioners. If families understand the difference between home care and home health care, it would go a long way toward helping avoid disappointment, getting upset, or even getting angry at something they expected the home care provider to be doing, which isn’t often part of a visiting nurse’s job description.