There’s No Need to Put Off a Surgery When You Have Home Health

Patients don’t have to put off necessary surgical procedures because of the current pandemic. Hospitals are following stricter protocols to lower the risk of exposure and enabling patients to choose alternative options for their recovery. In-home nursing and physical therapy services could provide patients with a steady recovery without having to stay in the hospital. Leaving the hospital sooner can lower a patient’s risks and protect them against the COVID-19 virus.

Keeping Your Scheduled Surgery

Keeping a scheduled surgery enables the patient to get the help they need for an underlying medical condition. With the recent global pandemic, more patients are rescheduling necessary surgeries because of the risk of COVID-19. Staying in the hospital could increase their risks of contracting the virus. However, patients have an alternative opportunity that enables them to keep their surgery scheduled and get health services in their home.

Setting Up Home Health Services

Setting up home health services requires the patient to review their medical insurance plan and establish how long the coverage lasts. Your doctor will be able to provide you a list of home health services to choose from. Once on service with an agency, home health care provides patients with everything they need in the privacy of their own home. The patients won’t have to worry about staying in a hospital throughout their recovery.

Staying At Home and Away from Risks

Staying at home and away from risks prevents the patient from being exposed to the coronavirus. If the patient leaves the hospital after their surgery and goes home, they are at a decreased risk of contracting the virus. The home care services help the patient complete their recovery away from the hospital, and all in-home nurses, clinicians and therapists are complete daily self checks and often even tests, to make sure they have not contracted COVID-19.

Getting the Help You Need After Surgery

The type of surgery the patient undergoes determines what type of home health care they need. For example, a patient undergoing knee surgery will  have a more difficult time being mobile or receiving care. Nurses help with skin and wound care, medication management, pain management, and intravenous therapies. And aid might help the patient with getting dressed, or get regular bathing. And dependent on the needs, there are occupational therapists, physical therapists and dieticians to support your recovery. In-home nursing care helps the patient get all the care they need without staying in the hospital for an extended period. That saves everyone time and reduces care issues.

Avoiding New Injuries and Healing Progressively

Avoiding new injuries and healing progressively decreases the patient’s healing time. Doctors provide aftercare instructions to help the patient heal faster and decrease the chances of pulling muscles or damaging bones. For example, if the patient underwent surgery for organ removal, they can’t place any strain on the affected area without opening their stitches. For this reason, the patient needs someone to help them get up without placing any pressure on the incision. If the surgery affected the patient’s legs, they must have help getting up and moving around, or the patient could place too much weight on the opposite limb and cause more profound damage. If this happens, the patient might need reparative surgery for the other leg. An in-home nurse can help the patient heal more progressively without sustaining new injuries because of weight distribution or sudden falls.

Getting to Follow-Up Appointments

Getting to follow-up appointments could be a problem for patients who live alone. With in-home health options, most follow up options can happen in-home or via telehealth. If the patient needs emergency services, care providers are a call away if emergency services are needed to get the patient back to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible. That being said, the risk of re-hospitalization is much lower when patients choose in-home care. Some families need help from an in-home nurse when it comes to taking care of an elderly loved one that had surgery. The family members cannot provide clinical care to their loved one. A home health nurse can help these families and provide the care that the patient needs after surgery and ensure that the patient gets all the care they need during their recovery.

Companionship While You Recover

Home health nurses provide patients with companionship while that patient recovers. Friendship is important to everyone, and for a patient it could improve their recovery and mental state. Patients that feel that they are alone could become depressed, especially if they have mobility issues caused by the surgery. Having a friendly visit from a clinician while recovering in home is highly beneficial to the patient’s health. It can also keep the patient more comfortable and make them feel safer. All in-home nurses are trained to be compassionate and understanding. The professionals understand that, after surgery, some patients can become fearful or concerned about their recovery. The nurses are there to reassure the patient that their recovery is a process and will take time. Patients don’t have to reschedule their surgical procedures because of the coronavirus. The risks of the virus aren’t as profound if the patient limits how long they stay in the hospital. Individuals who need to undergo surgery can still get the procedure they need without facing dire circumstances. Home health nurses can provide the health care the patient needs to recover in the privacy of their home and lower their risk of exposure to illnesses. Reviewing all the great services that home health care provides helps patients and family get peace of mind.