How Home Healthcare Services has helped Elders during this scenario?

The prevailing COVID 19 pandemic has created a huge turmoil in the entire world and vividly exposed the global healthcare systems. The elderly population, particularly, have to bear the brunt of the situation as they are one of the most vulnerable sections of the society. With the compulsion of homestay, their accessibility to healthcare by visiting clinics, hospitals and nursing homes is one huge challenge. One of the areas that have come to the limelight thanks to this challenge is home healthcare services.

In the current scenario, availing care facilities at home is perhaps the best choice as it offers a safer and cheaper option than hospitalization and even delivers improved patient outcomes. This sector encompasses a host of services at home ranging from nursing assistance, doctor consultation, therapy, counselling, blood sample collection and doorstep medicine delivery. Healthabove60, an all-inclusive geriatric care provider of home healthcare services in Chennai is a classic example to illustrate this. Some of the convenient services it offers at affordable rates include-

·  Home care attendant in Chennai

·  Doctor home visit in Chennai

·  Physiotherapy sessions at home

·  Medicine delivery at home in Chennai

Let us now investigate how home healthcare services have made a significant positive impact on the current situation.

Why Home Healthcare Services?

·Home healthcare is the most preferred care model for seniors. As elders age, their biggest fear is the loss of independence when they are shifted to hospitals or nursing homes. Most of them firmly believe that it is important to continue their normal routines so that they can make their own decisions and continue to remain connected in the social network.

·The facility of home care is the safest way to protect themselves from the exposure and attack of coronavirus and yet avail the required clinical services at home. The risk of getting an infection is also reduced as contact with outsiders is minimized and social distancing norms are maintained.

·Care at home is more personalized as seniors get individual attention for their health problems and can express their concerns freely. They can enjoy a better quality of life and happiness in the comfortable and healing atmosphere of their residence.

·This form of care is also more cost-effective as compared to institutional care and renders better patient experiences. Further, by deploying healthcare technology and telehealth facilities, personal emergency response and monitoring systems may be used which reduce the incurred expenses even more. Homecare also significantly reduces the rate of unplanned hospitalization and remarkably enhances patient satisfaction.

·Hospitals, both government and private, struggle to accommodate the rising number of COVID 19 cases. Elective surgeries have been put on hold. Physician consultations have been curtailed and therapies have been stalled. The sudden stoppage in the continuity of treatment can cause a huge decline in the health of seniors owing to their fragile bodies and weak immune systems.

·People staying abroad or in other cities away from their aged parents and family members can find a promising solution by choosing home healthcare. By choosing this facility, they can ensure that the elders can get the right treatment in the appropriate timeframe and have a guided recovery though they are miles apart from their loved ones.

·The comprehensive and integrated assistance offered by home healthcare services is commendable and comparable to medical support rendered in external care facilities. They can handle chronic diseases, lifestyle disorders, disabilities, post-operative care, age-related ailments, palliative care, respite care and wound management with compassion and empathy to give a personal touch of healing to seniors.

·Home nursing professionals can also address a variety of physical and cognitive impairments in elderly patients. Nursing services are provided for vaccinations and injections, catheterization, wound dressing, intravenous infusions, fluid management, tracheostomy care, oxygen management, bed sore care and mental disorders like dementia. Monitoring of vital health parameters like blood pressure, sugar levels, pulse rate, weight and oxygen levels is also done to ensure proper recovery after surgery or health complication.

·Home caregivers become wonderful companions to elders and build long-term trusting relationships with them. This relationship protects the older people from the looming threat of isolation, loneliness and depression which can cause dangerous consequences on their physical and mental well-being.

·Homecare services raise the involvement and awareness of family members present enabling better healing and lowering apprehension in elderly minds.