How to Have a Great Experience in a Home Healthcare Environment as a Patient

Are you considering home healthcare?

Suppose you are a patient or the caregiver to a patient considering home healthcare. In that case, you may need to figure out what to expect. Often, patients requiring home healthcare have circumstances that make it difficult to leave home. For example, they could be recovering from an injury, brain trauma, or illness that has left them homebound. They may have difficulty coping with in-clinic care, and home healthcare could be a better, more comfortable option for them.

While home healthcare is an ideal option in the above cases, it also means that they will have a different treatment experience than they would if they were provided with physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy in a clinic or hospital.

How does home healthcare differ from in-clinic care?

One of the most prominent differences between home healthcare and in-clinic care is the environment. Home healthcare providers bring their tools to your home, but they also work with your natural environment to help you find the best way to perform everyday tasks.

This may look different depending on how you have your home set up.

For example, an occupational therapist will not have a clinic gym for you. But, they will have the items you actually use daily – as you go about your occupations. This means that they will have a better understanding of your struggles – and may be able to point out one or two things in your environment that, with a simple change, could make all the difference to your quality of life.

How patients can have a great experience in a home healthcare environment

If you are a patient or a homebound person’s caregiver, here are five things you can do that will help you have an excellent home healthcare experience.

1. Set expectations.

Ask your clinicians what to expect during the course of treatment. Speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy are all different – and all require you to work with your caregivers to implement the tools provided by your therapist. Ask your clinician what you can do outside of your sessions to support your recovery.

2. Remove dangers from your environment.

Since you are at home, you likely feel very comfortable with your living space. However, having a therapist come to your home means ensuring the area is safe for others. This may include:

• Putting dogs or cats in a crate or other room during your therapy sessions.
• Ensuring your home is reasonably clean.
• Ensuring your emergency contact list is easy to find.
• Removing tripping hazards.
• Keeping spaces light and bright.

3. Provide instructions.

Write down and communicate anything important for the clinician to know before and during their visit. For example, it could be helpful for them to know the following:

• Where to park.
• Which rooms are off-limits.
• Any religious or cultural considerations.
• Where to find emergency information.
• At which door they should enter.
• Who else might be present during your sessions.

4. Communicate with your clinician.

Setting boundaries and openly communicating is the best way to ensure you get what you want from therapy. Talk with your speech therapist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist and discuss preferences, goals, likes and dislikes, boundaries, and more. The better they understand what works well for you, the more effectively they can help.

5. Take notes.

Your clinician will provide instructions, ask questions, and discuss strategies with you. If you or a caregiver can, be sure to take notes.

Having notes will give you a better understanding of what will help you most as you go through therapy – and they will provide you with something you can refer to. This is particularly helpful if you have had a brain trauma or other injury and are concerned that you may not answer completely in the moment. The notes will provide you with something to look back on or clarify as you process the information at your own speed.

At FeldCare Connects, we provide a network of clinicians that patients and home health agencies can utilize to get their home health needs met.

Reach out to FeldCare Connects to kickstart your journey in home health now! Either call us at (818) 926-9057, or go to?feldcareconnects.com/clinicians