When a loved one needs medical-level support, families can often only think in terms of a hospital or a facility. But, skilled nursing care can happen at home, allowing licensed clinical care to be provided by trained professionals in a place that is familiar to the patient to support their healing while engaging in life with family. It is the combination of clinical competency and family-centered support that minimizes disruption to routine. It is also a means to prevent visits to the emergency room by identifying challenges and addressing the issues early.
What Is Skilled Nursing Care?
Skilled nursing care is physician-directed clinical care at home using licensed nurses, which is not limited to just help with bathing or eating. Skilled nursing care covers all the considerations of bedside and task work that require professional training and evaluation. Nurses work as part of comprehensive home health services following an individualized plan of care, evaluating symptoms and reporting findings, requesting changes, or communicating with a person’s doctor. To know more about this, visit this link.
Nursing supports patients after surgery, recovery from illness, and patients with chronic and difficult-to-manage conditions. Nurses can be transitioned in to facilitate safe post-operative care at home, as well as to fill the gap between discharge from the hospital and being independent at home by providing education and support. Nurses also help create realistic goals for recovery, which makes progress feel achievable. Visits are time-limited and goal-directed, with the clinician reviewing clinical outcomes with the patient at each visit.
Common Medical Tasks Handled at Home
Families may be surprised at how many clinical needs can be safely supported in a living room or bedroom. Equipped with the appropriate equipment and supplies and a solid plan of care, nurses can provide all hospital-level care without the physical disruption of a hospital. Care plans are specific to the person’s home, allowing for effective and efficient visits that focus on specific goals to promote comfort and confidence in self-management of medications or responsibilities.
- Dressing changes and wound assessments
- IV therapy, injections, and central-line care
- Catheter and ostomy care (see – https://www.wcei.net/wound-care/ostomy for details)
- Cardiac, respiratory, and blood-glucose monitoring
- Patient education for chronic disease management (such as diabetes, COPD, or heart failure)
- Fall-risk reviews and safety training in the home environment
Who Provides Skilled Nursing?
Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Vocational/Practical Nurses (LVNs/PNs) provide care on behalf of the physician, clinical supervisors, and/or therapists and social workers for rehabilitation at home, and the physician as a timely update to the family on the patient’s health. The Registered Nurse and Licensed Vocational/Practical Nurse will also work with the family collaboratively developing goals and changing and modifying treatment plans, assisting the family set realistic expectations for daily routines.
Family members can expect to have nurses with background checks and sahpw11tes who maintain state licenses and document everything they do. Family members can expect plain language, and any supported information goes to the doctor if possible.
Families can find You’re First Home Care in Northwest Houston on the following map:
Why Families Choose In-Home Nursing
Families and individuals place value on care that complements their lifestyle, honors their schedules, and supports their families. The home environment reduces stress and allows people to sleep, eat, and mobilize as their bodies require, rather than on the basis of hospital schedules. For families who are managing work and a caregiving role, and need some relief, services like respite care Houston eliminate issues of caregiving while providing professional support.
- Improved ability to detect signs and symptoms early to reduce the risk of re-admission
- Improved compliance with treatment plans because care is happening at home where people eat, sleep, and spend their day
- Clear education for loved ones so everyone is on the same page
- Transparent costs and fewer issues related to transportation
- Stable and regular access to the same clinicians over time
Safety and Peace of Mind
Safety is the foundation for skilled care at home, but nurses’ complete comprehensive assessments, validate orders, verify the right patient, dose, and route of administration, and other components of the medication administration processes. Many systems are in place for 24/7 triage lines and rapid escalation for changes in condition, hospitalization, and diagnosis. Some agencies have home protocols in conjunction telehealth and remote monitoring protocols to catch nuances sooner when a patient requires skilled nursing care. They also offer infection control protocols, train families to recognize signs that merit a call, and have emergency plans so families will know exactly what to do in a crisis.
Regular documentation, communications, and follow-up is an effort to ensure everyone is in the loop – from the attending medical doctor to the weekend nurse covering the patient. Families will know that even if care seems endless with home health time slots, the clinical care needs are being addressed; and that comfort and independence continue to be monitored through regular check ins and timely support when skilled home health is initiated. In summary, skill nursing care in the home is equivalent quality to care in the hospital environment, and the added bonus is a person’s own healing environment.
