How Home Care For Heart Failure Helps Seniors
Home Care For Heart Failure specialists provide support and assistance as your loved one returns home after being hospitalized for heart failure.
What is Home Care For Heart Failure?
Home Care For Heart Failure is a more personalized alternative to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It provides services such as personal care, homemaking, companionship and more to individuals living at home, so they can remain comfortable and independent for as long as possible.
Home Care vs Home Health
Home health is typically short-term medical services administered in the home to treat an illness or injury. This type of medical assistance is usually provided by a registered nurse, physical, occupational or speech therapist. Home care agencies are often requested to provide supplemental care as the patient transitions.
Who is a Good Candidate for Home Care?
Home care can be beneficial for individuals who are getting older, are chronically ill, are recovering from a surgery or are disabled. Perhaps your loved one needs assistance with day-to-day tasks but does not need to be in a nursing home or hospital. Home care could be the right fit for them.
What Types of Home Care Services Are Available?
Home care looks different for everyone. Each individual’s needs are unique, and home care can be tailored to fit those needs. Depending on what your loved one’s needs are, caregiving services can be available 24-hours a day or a few hours each week. Some of the services include:
Home Care Interventions for Patients being discharged for Heart Failure
The term “heart failure” sounds like the heart has completely stopped working but in reality, heart failure means that the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should. Heart failure is one of the most common reasons that people over 65 go to the hospital. 24.8% of patients will be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days and approximately 50% will be readmitted within six months of being discharged for heart failure.
According to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org), people who have experienced heart failure can continue to live a full, enjoyable life as long as their condition is managed with medication and lifestyle changes. It is essential to put these changes into place to prevent readmission to the hospital. Home care can help provide services so those lifestyle changes are an easy and smooth transition.
Below are services that home care can provide that align with evidence-based practices that are proven to reduce readmission rates for heart failure:
1. Medication Reminders
It is critical that people who have heart failure take their medicine. Failure to take medications regularly—or not taking the proper dose— can cause a hospital readmission. Caregivers can help with medication reminders, knowing the proper doses, transportation to the pharmacy, and being educated on medication side effects.
(source): www.heart.org
2. Diet Prep and Planning
It’s important for individuals who had heart failure to follow a diet that is low in sodium and pay close attention to how much fluid they are taking in. Caregivers can provide meal planning and prepping, help read labels, grocery shop, and track if there are any dietary restrictions based on medications an individual takes.
(source): www.heartfailurematters.org
3. Transportation to Doctor Appointments
Checking in with a healthcare team is essential after heart failure. Many patients will have multiple doctors including a cardiologist, a sarcoidosis specialist and a pacemaker specialist. Home care specialists can provide transportation to and from doctor visits as well as document each doctor’s instructions and help make sure there is proper follow up.
(source): www.webmd.com
