It’s a tough pill to swallow, but there may come a time when an elderly loved one will need help with caring for themselves. Conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are increasingly prevalent among the elderly with our ageing population. With younger family members who are busy with work, additional help is available when there is nobody to act as a primary caregiver to take care of the elderly at home.
Nursing homes are commonly available to take the burden of caregiving off their family members’ shoulders. However, some seniors may not prefer staying in nursing homes for a variety of reasons, including seeing their family members less or simply the idea of living with a bunch of strangers 24/7. At Speedoc, we provide home nursing services, where a trained nurse will care for your elderly loved one in the comfort of your home.
There are different benefits to choosing either home nursing care or nursing homes. Here are some of them:
The senior gets to stay in a familiar and comfortable environment, making it easier to perform day-to-day tasks.
The presence of family members, if they live together, can help with mood and companionship.
One-to-one dedicated attention by the home nurse as the senior is the only person the nurse is attending to.
Preserve independence as much as possible with the home nurse observing from a distance and letting the senior seek help only when really needed.
Usually less expensive than nursing homes as there are lesser overheads.
Care is given around the clock by multiple staff members, regardless of what the senior needs.
For seniors who tend to wander out, nursing homes have more staff to keep a lookout and ensure they are secure.
At Speedoc, our nurses who have experience in both public or private hospitals and community nursing tell us that they prefer caring for patients at home as they have the chance to know their patient much better. They get to spend more time and focus on caring for a single person, make adjustments to a patient’s care plan depending on their living environment, and more. Most importantly, they have the opportunity to foster a bond with the senior that they don’t usually get to do in a healthcare institutional setting. Especially for the elderly with dementia, having a familiar face instead of a constantly rotating team of staff also keeps them calm and avoids confusion.
At the same time, there are also various disadvantages of nursing homes and home nursing, depending on which one you choose:
The right hire is extremely important. You may have to hire a professional nurse if you need more than basic help. Speedoc’s nurses are fully licensed and are also experienced in elder care.
Home nursing may not be as secure as nursing homes that have staff 24/7. However, this may not be of concern if your loved one does not wander.
The level of systematic care given at nursing homes can sometimes strip a person of their independence.
A transition period is usually needed for the senior to get comfortable. Living under the same roof with other strangers may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Nursing home charges tend to be expensive, especially if you choose somewhere more well-known or high-quality.
Whether you opt for having a full-time caregiver or a part-time nurse at home, it all boils down to the needs of your family member, the frequency of hospital visits, convenience, financial commitments, and many other factors.
What you can save from using nurse home visits from private medical teams like the ones from Speedoc is that you’ll be saving trips to and from hospitals and clinics. Our professional nurses will pop by your home as scheduled to help your loved ones with whatever nursing needs are required, be it wound care, tube changes or stoma care.
Individuals with chronic conditions who are recovering from surgery especially need routine nursing care and attention from nurses and their primary caregivers. The long waits at hospitals and clinics may not be in their best interest.
There are different types of nursing care you can employ for your elderly loved ones.
Our nurse home visits are done by licensed local nurses who can save you time, money, and uncomfortable (and expensive) trips to the hospital or clinic. Our licensed, experienced nurses can help with both simple and complex nursing procedures which include:
IV drip
Stoma care
Wound care
Medicine administration
Tube change
Catheter change
Bedsore management
Blood-taking
Removal of stitches and staples
Oral suctioning
...and much more
Changing feeding tubes
Checking and adjusting suctioning
Wound care
Follow-up checks and tests (if required)
Injections
Top up on medication
Advice on changes in medication based on doctor’s advice
Administration of medication in a timely manner
Monitoring of vital signs
Airway patency
Pain management
Wound care on the site of surgery
Ensuring scheduled monitoring
Close monitoring of vital signs
Pulse check
Blood pressure readings
Temperature check
When you have a doctor or nurse visit an elderly patient at home to ensure they are progressing as expected, you remove the discomfort of having to transport them to the hospital or clinic. The cost is also automatically mitigated!
For elderly patients who face mobility challenges or live alone, nurse on call services could be heaven-sent. After all, excessive mobilising of a recovering elderly patient can result in further health complications which could also lead to readmissions.
Sometimes, the patient may need URGENT nursing care due to circumstances that are out of their control. When you have a nurse visit your home to care for your elderly loved ones, speed is absolutely key to an optimal and speedy recovery.
When a patient is recovering at home, with or without a primary caregiver, having the peace of mind of knowing professional help is always a call, email or app away will make a world of difference.
Having a live-in or full-time nurse will work out well for you if this is an ideal arrangement for you. Meanwhile, sending your elderly loved one to a nursing home can work out perfectly for you too. However, if neither option is a good fit for your family, consider using nurse home visits to lighten the responsibilities of the primary caregiver.
Let them know that if they need medical assistance, Speedoc, after all, is available 24/7.
Deciding on how to care for your elderly loved one is definitely not easy. Logistical issues aside, this is a personal and emotional decision that you may want to make together with the other members of your family.