Awareness of the services that home care nurses provide can help you or a family member receive necessary aid and improved quality of life.
Home care nurses can truly change the lives of individuals and their families, but do you know what kind of care they provide, or what skills and qualifications they bring into each home? Whether you are weighing the benefits of in home care services or actively searching for in-home care services in Little Rock, it is important to understand exactly what these nurses do.
If you or a loved one need daily medical assistance for any reason, in-home nursing is one of many supportive services that can be customized to fit your needs. Unlike nurses who care for individuals within hospitals or skilled nursing facilities, home care nurses bring their services directly to individuals’ homes, customizing care plans that range from short-term rehabilitation to long-term personal care and medical assistance. Because in-home care services are ideal for a wide range of individuals, we want to make sure your family is informed about this versatile option.
While there is no “typical” workday for a home care nurse, there are some skills and services that make up the bulk of most in home care services in Little Rock. If you hire a home care nurse, they may provide some or all of the following services, depending on your needs:
Medical Tests, Treatments & Monitoring
While nurses are not the only home health care workers, they are licensed to perform medical services that aides, therapists, and other care professionals cannot. Some registered nurses (RNs) may have unique specialties or qualifications, but they all can provide medical care and work with individuals’ doctors to create and implement treatment plans. Home care nurses offer a variety of in-home medical services, including:
- Starting, maintaining, and discontinuing IV lines
- Checking medication dosages and preventing complications or adverse interactions
- Preparing and administering medication (via pills, IV lines, injections, enemas, and more)
- Administering therapies
- Teaching techniques for medical self-monitoring
- Observing and recording vital signs, client progress, and other medical data
- Consulting and collaborating with individuals’ physicians
RNs may also develop or implement a medical care plan that includes some or all of the above services, depending on the individual people’s needs. Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) offer in home care as well, including giving medications, monitoring and recording vital signs, and other services that RNs provide. However, LVNs and LPNs always work under the direction of RNs and physicians, who develop the treatment plans they follow.
Personal Hygiene Services
Proper personal hygiene is the foundation for all health care, because good hygiene reduces health and contamination risks while keeping people comfortable and content. In addition to medical services, home care nurses will handle any personal hygiene tasks that a person can no longer perform themselves. If your loved one needs help using the bathroom, brushing their teeth, washing their hair, bathing, shaving, or getting dressed, their home care services will include personal hygiene assistance.
Daily Companionship
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of in-home care services may not be a service at all. Home care nurses are responsible for medical and personal tasks, but they also fill an everyday need for emotional support. Home care workers have experience with the emotional and psychological effects of long-term illness or injury, so they can steer their conversations and interactions in positive and productive ways. Home care nurses take responsibility for their clients’ emotional wellbeing, in addition to their physical wellness.
At Integrity, Inc. our nurses do assessments, develop care plans, and provide specific tasks and supervision, under which our Personal Care Aides and Certified Nursing Assistants carry out activities designed to ensure an individual’s specific needs are being addressed. The vast majority of these tasks and activities center around assisting the individual with the completion of his or her activities of daily living. If the individual needs more skilled routine nursing care, our nursing staff work with the individual or family to help them access that care.
Everyone deserves to be as comfortable and happy as possible, regardless of age, illness, or injury. Our home care nurses and other home care workers are committed to improving quality of life for people and their families, with customized services that address physical and psychological needs. Call Integrity, Inc. today at 501-406-0442 or fill out our online form to learn more about our in home care services for Little Rock families.
