When it comes to selecting the right kind of at home nursing care, many families are confused. There are so many different types of services, home health, home care, hospice, non-medical care, skilled nursing, it’s no wonder families get frustrated.
Only At Home Nursing Care LVN’s or RN’s can administer medications or change dressings for in home care patients.
If a loved one is currently in the hospital or a rehabilitation center, a great resource is the discharge planner or the “nurse navigator”. These skilled professionals have special training to help patients seek out the appropriate community resources.
At Home Nursing Care can also help. We can provide an evaluation to determine the level of care that would be best for yourself or your family member.
Here are some of the quick guidelines or rules of thumb that we follow.
First, our non medical in home care caregivers are great at providing companionship, safety monitoring, meal preparation ,light housekeeping, incidental transportation to doctor’s appointments or errands, bathing, dressing, even feeding services. Caregivers are limited to only providing medication reminders. They are not able to “administer medications”.
If a client needs any kind of medical care at home, such as injections, dressing changes, or administering of medications such as morphine, then skilled nursing services at home are most appropriate. Much of the at home nursing care can be performed by a licensed vocational nurse or a registered nurse, who follow doctor’s orders. Those orders are written instructions telling the nurses when to give medications, what kinds of medications to give, when and how to treat wounds or sores, etc. Doctor’s orders must be updated periodically.
Some at home nursing care is covered by insurance and some is private pay, meaning the patient is responsible for the charges. Be sure to ask your care provider to explain.
If you or your loved one need non medical in home nursing care, call At Home Nursing Care at 760-634-8000 for quality Los Angeles and San Diego home health care.