Furnishings and Supplies

Anyone in need of home health care deserves non-medical care or in home medical care that is compassionate whether the patient is a child, adult or elder. Home health care services are provided anywhere except for in nursing homes or a hospital. These services may even be provided at an assisted living facility, a school, apartment or house.

As far as care plans go, there are a wide variety of personal care and nursing services that are not just available, they are tailored for the needs of each individual recipient. Customized care plans and follow up assessments should be provided by a registered nurse.

Nursing Supervision and Case Management

The care that is provided by personal care assistants and home health aides is typically supervised by a registered nurse. One of these registered nurses should be on call at all times in order to assist the caregivers as well as to provide medical training and oversight and to implement the plans of care.

Elder or Adult Care

Are you aware of the fact that 75% of the health care costs in the US are incurred by only 12% of Americans? These people generally have some type of chronic illness. The benefits of this type of individualized home care include much more than just being able to keep someone at home for their illness as opposed to being institutionalized or put in a long term care facility. As far as cost goes, home care visits are roughly only 10% of what a single day in the hospital will cost.

Additionally, home health care has a track record that has been proven when it comes to things such as reducing readmissions to the hospital, expensive visits to the emergency room and in managing chronic illnesses. In addition, there is scientific evidence that has proven that patients are able to heal faster when they are in their own homes. Both morbidity and mortality rates are reduced in patients who take advantage of home health care. In fact, 90% of seniors facing long term care in nursing homes prefer to stay home and get the services of a home health care provider.

Private Elder Care Coordination, Planning and Management

This involves both advising and then assisting families when it comes to determining the necessities of an aging adult. These caregivers are able to navigate many of the long term type of care resources that are available in your area. The goal here is to educate and inform the family of what the options are and them to assist them with the implementation of their decision. Typically this is done by an RN who has been certified and specially trained in the area of geriatrics who can provide:

The services of being a liaison for family members who may live a great distance away
Educating and advocating for the patient
Assisting with paperwork and forms that are related to insurance, medical assistant and Medicare
Screening, arranging for and then monitoring any in home help or options for institutional or residential care options
Care planning that is tailored to the patient

The home healthcare market in India is currently estimated to be 2 billion to 4 billion dollars a year opportunity.

What is the role of a home health aide?

Provide basic personal care especially for elderly and paralyzed patients in home settings
Provide personal care such as bathing, dressing, and grooming of patient
Monitor or report changes in health status of the patient
Help patients in their daily tasks and prescribed exercises
Administer prescribed medication on time
Maintain a safe environment for the patient
The home health aide (HHA) main role is to take care of all needs of the patients and ensuring that their comfort and needs. People opt for such treatment plan looking at their convenience, logistics and as an economical option. It is a noble profession where you get the benefit of having a homely environment. The people who usually opt for HHA are the ageing population. Since there is also an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the need for better quality post-operative and primary care, people seek the help of HHA, so that the patient can get 24×7 care while staying the comforts of their homes and with their family.
It is important to create a good rapport with both the patient and their family to be able to have a functioning relationship with them as the HHA has to spend maximum time. The HHA has to facilitate the patient and provide personal care like bathing, dressing and grooming of the patient. If the patient requires, the HHA has to help in their daily exercising and some of the daily tasks as well.

What are the minimum qualifications for applying to the HHA course?

Even though the minimum education qualification to become a home health is eight standard pass, however, it is important that you are able to study all the relevant subjects. In the course, you will be required to study the basic human anatomy and physiology, a subject that would be helpful in your practical experience. The students will also be taught about medical waste and how it should be properly disposed of. The duration of the course is usually of 4 months.

The course curriculum covers the following topics:

Basic human anatomy & physiology
General health & hygiene
Understanding a patient’s needs
Special skin care for pressure sores
Caring for the visually impaired
Role of a patient care assistant
Daily care of a patient
Bathing a patient
Feeding a patient
Administering drugs as per prescriptions
Basic nursing skills
Disposal of medical waste
Understanding body mechanics
Patient handling, lifting, and moving patients
Fall prevention care and restraints
Emergency first aid
Communication with patients and their careers
You must have a good adaptability at a familial setup and be keen to learn various medical subjects in a short span of time.
Scope in India

The scope of HHA in India is currently growing. Due to the change in the demography, currently, the population above the age of 60 is rapidly increasing, which is more than 300 million people. With ailments and diseases, the older population at times finds it more comfortable to stay at home and since the family members may not always be available or adept in fully taking care of the patients, people seek help from HHAs. At times, in Tier II and Tier III cities the hospital facilities are not at par or affordable, they have a huge demand.

What are some of the drawbacks of the profession?

HHAs have become an integral part of the healthcare industry. However, there is still a lack of governmental recognition. Many hospitals are urging the government to recognise the service and profession of HHAs like the Western countries have adopted. Even though hospital accreditation is increasing, this has not necessarily translated to the home health aide industry, they are still under the purview of hospitals.

The home healthcare is a rising industry as it been seen as a very attractive option by over 300 million people. With the rise in the number of old people in the population and a drastic rise in the working population, more people are opting for this service. It is a noble profession and you get to help a person who needs medical attention as well as help to carry out even the simplest of tasks. Hospital chains, family physicians and even government-run primary health care centres are beginning to add the home health aide service in their treatment plans. You can become part of a bigger and better health care provider and work in a homely setup. Portea Medical, a Bangalore-based home health care firm is one example of firms that cater to and employ home health aides.