You can sum up the benefits of hiring home care services into two broad categories. First, there is the health benefit of avoiding hospital readmissions. Second, there is the financial benefit of saving money.
Content Summary
Reduced costs
Home care services can be pricey. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get your care at home for less. Whether you are looking for a live-in nanny or a companion to help you with the housework, many options are available.
The cost of home care can vary wildly depending on your area, the type of care you need, and the quality of service you receive. If you’re willing to do your research, you should be able to find a more cost-effective option.
One of the most important decisions you will make is selecting a home care agency. These providers can be an excellent resource for your elderly loved one, but they also have some drawbacks. They may offer a different level of flexibility than you’ll get from a private in-home care agency. Some states also require home health agencies to be within a certain distance of your home.
In the end, you have to weigh the costs and benefits of home care and other options to make an informed decision. A good rule of thumb is that the most expensive option is not necessarily the best.
Improved health outcomes
The benefits of home care services are many and varied. These services can be an affordable and convenient alternative to hospitalization. Moreover, they can also address nonclinical determinants of health. Many seniors prefer to receive their care at home.
There have been a few studies on how home care services impact their patients’ quality of life (QOL). However, the results have been mixed. It may be because of the numerous chronic health conditions experienced by home health care patients. Moreover, many studies have reported the small sample size used to determine QOL measures.
Prevent hospital readmissions
Home care services can prevent hospital readmissions. Healthcare providers and organizations must demonstrate that they can reduce readmission rates and have a strong record of doing so. A solid plan to reduce readmissions can help improve patients’ quality of life, lower healthcare costs, and improve patient satisfaction.
Hospital readmissions cost $26 billion per year. They are caused by various factors, including missed medications, depression, and skipped medical appointments. Readmissions also result from poor outpatient care.
Home care agencies are one of the best options for preventing hospital readmissions, especially since they can be more proactive and interdisciplinary in their approach to care. Whether it’s to monitor the health of a hospitalized patient or to assess hospital-acquired infections, home health can help.
To ensure the effectiveness of a readmission reduction program, hospitals and healthcare providers should consider implementing a risk-stratification method to direct their resources. This risk stratification allows them to target patients at higher risk of rehospitalization.
To ensure the effectiveness of readmission prevention strategies, all care team members should know whether the patient is at high risk of readmission, like in Respect. Additionally, caregivers must provide an example of good care, including prompt response to questions, adherence to self-care instructions, and a willingness to take action when symptoms worsen.
Empathy
Empathy is an essential component of home care services. It is an aspect of healthcare that can lead to a better outcomes for patients with chronic conditions.
Studies have shown that empathic health professionals have a lower rate of burnout and malpractice claims. However, many health professionals have difficulty adopting an empathetic communication model. To address these issues, hospitals can train staff to increase empathy and improve patient outcomes.
An analysis of the literature reveals that empathy has been defined in various dimensions, ranging from affective to cognitive. A balance of these dimensions is believed to benefit both the professional and the patient.
The theory of empathy development provides a framework for understanding how and why empathy develops. A study on this approach explored how empathy evolves in a multicultural setting.
It was found that the cognitive dimension dominated the earliest concept of empathy. It was followed by the affective aspect, which was predominant from the 1950s to the 1960s.
The second period saw an emphasis on the behavioural aspect. In this period, healthcare providers emphasized the importance of patient care. They believed that the more they were able to empathize with a patient, the more likely that the patient would comply with the plan of care.
Healthcare professionals emphasized that professional identities can encourage empathy. They shared examples of supervisors, standards, and guidelines that helped them provide more empathetic care.
