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Recovering from an accident or injury can be a lengthy and difficult process. Friends and family members can struggle to provide the injured loved one with the level of care they need for optimal health. Family and work obligations take time to meet, and this can make it challenging to additionally provide the attention that a person needs when recovering from a significant accident and/or injury.
Thankfully, there is help available. In-home care services can assist greatly in an individual’s recovery, and make it easier by providing essential care services within the comfort and familiarity of their home environment.
Photo by Claudia van Zyl on Unsplash
What types of in-home services are available?
In-home care services can assist with a wide range of healthcare needs and daily tasks. These can include patient-centered support, help with ADLs, diet and nutrition support, professional CNA assistance, household chores assistance, and medication management.
ADL assistance
Recovery care providers can be counted on to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs). ADLs refer to all of the normal daily personal care activities, such as bathing, eating, toileting, dressing, and grooming. Depending upon the injuries sustained, it may be difficult to perform some or all of these activities, and by receiving daily assistance with their personal care needs, good quality of life and dignity can be maintained.
CNA assistance
Whilst loved ones may be able to provide exceptional care, there is no substitute for professional medical experience. An in-home care agency can provide professional CNA assistance by assigning a qualified healthcare provider. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is also able to provide support with hands-on healthcare, such as bathing and dressing. Some of the common activities for a CNA include repositioning bedridden patients, taking a patient’s temperature, blood pressure, or other vital signs, dressing wounds, and ensuring that sufficient nutrition intake is maintained.
Patient-centered support
More than just a health-care provider, an in-home caregiver’s job is also to provide socialization and compassionate care, especially as recovering patients can feel particularly depressed or lonely during their long recovery. Meaningful social contact during mealtimes and throughout the day can enhance recovery through feelings of connection and happiness.
Medication management
After sustaining a serious injury, it is common to require one or more prescription medications. Depending on a patient’s age and abilities relating to their condition, it may be difficult to self-manage the quantities and schedules for taking medicines. An in-home caregiver can ensure that the right dosages are taken at the right times, thus ensuring optimal pain management and potentially speeding up the recovery process. It is also vital to avoid any dangerous drug interactions. Simple instructions such as not taking medication on an empty stomach can also be overseen to avoid unnecessary discomforts such as stomach upsets.
Ensuring proper nutrition
It is vital to ensure that diet and nutrition remain a priority when recovering from an injury – especially when remaining sedentary, as it’s important to avoid a loss of lean body mass. In-home care providers can help to ensure that adequate nutrition is consistently achieved through aiding in grocery shopping and the preparation of balanced meals.
Assistance with household chores
It can be highly challenging to keep up with household chores when recovering from an accident or injury, and in-home caregivers can assist with these responsibilities. Any light household duties such as laundry, dishes, and vacuuming can be covered by a home care provider – ensuring a cleaner and safer environment to recover in.
Covering the costs of in-home care
Funding long-term care can be daunting. You or a loved one may be eligible to receive home health care benefits via one of the following:
Medicare
To be eligible, you must be over 65 or defined as disabled for two years or more. The Medicare home health benefit is designed to assist in recovery from an illness or injury, to help with other intermittent or short-term needs, or to manage a chronic condition. It may cover a variety of skilled services such as physical therapy, nursing, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. A doctor’s referral is required. For a full summary of the Medicare home health care benefits, click here.
Medicaid
If your home is your main asset and your primary income is through Social Security, you may meet the requirements for Medicaid. Additionally, some states expand their Medicaid coverage even further for low-income adults. General eligibility information can be found here.
Insurance
If you have been contributing to private health insurance or a long-term insurance plan, now might be the time to take advantage of it. Most private insurers will cover the costs of skilled nursing care in the short term, either after surgery or in the event that an injury is sustained that doesn’t relate to a worker’s compensation or auto accident.
Other sources
If care and rehabilitation services are required as the result of a job-related accident or auto accident, then worker’s compensation, auto insurance, or another consumer or employer insurance plan may pay for in-home care services. If you are in any way unsure of your entitlements, you should consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer to make sure that you receive everything you are entitled to, and to assist you in filing a personal injury claim.
The bottom line
Recovering from an accident or injury can be a grueling process and take its toll on friends and family, too. The more organized you are, the easier the journey back to health for all, and ensuring that you are receiving all of the benefits owing can make a great difference when it comes to affording the best possible in-home care.