What Do Home Care Workers Do?
Home environments are more conducive to healing. Seniors who have led a life of independence don't want that to stop because of a health setback. This is where home care workers come in. They allow quality care to be administered in the patient's home. The patient immediately starts back on the road to independence without being admitted to an inpatient facility.
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Significance
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As baby boomers begin to retire, the strain on America's health care system will increase. The cost of providing care in someone's home is a fraction of the cost of inpatient care. Seniors lead very active lifestyles and need a system that will place them back into that lifestyle in a very short period of time.
Misconceptions
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The care that is provided by home care workers varies. Some people think that licensed professionals have to provide care in the home. This is not always the case. In some cases non-licensed workers can help patients with activities of daily living including cleaning immediate living areas, preparing meals, bathing and washing a light load of clothes. Some Medicaid programs allow family members who already serve as caregivers to become paid home care workers for the patient. They operate under the supervision of a home health agency.
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Benefits
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Home care prevents patients from experiencing further injury. Medicare grades agencies on their ability to decrease visits to the emergency room as well as patient falls. Home care workers build a relationship with patients by providing consistent care.
Home care workers also have very flexible schedules. They can arrange the work around the needs of the patient and their own personal schedule with little to no oversight from the home health agency.
Warning
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Without home care workers health care costs will increase even more. Patients are admitted to the hospital for stays longer than necessary because there is no one available to visit them in the homes to help the patient recuperate.
Patients need to have advocates who occasionally oversee the care that is being administered by the home care worker. There have been cases of abuse reported where home care workers took advantage of patients who had no one else involved in their care.
Features
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There are many types of care than can be received in the home. Home care workers can be physical therapists, certified nursing assistants, registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses. Social workers, speech therapists, dietitians and occupational therapists also provide care to patients in their homes. Home care workers oversee the patient's drug regimen, assess body systems and perform several types of rehab therapy.
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