What are the various types of home care services?
There are many home care services that a patient can access in their own home. Care can vary depending on the patient’s needs. It could include nursing care or specialized medical services like laboratory workups. Your doctor and you will decide the care plan and services that you need at home. Services that are available at home may include:
Doctor Care
To diagnose and treat an illness, a doctor can visit the patient at home. The doctor may also visit the patient at home to assess their health and care needs.
Nursing Care
Most people require some form of nursing care. A registered nurse will create a care plan after consultation with the doctor. Nursing care can include intravenous therapy, wound dressing, ostomy, intravenous therapy, medication administration, monitoring of the patient’s general health, pain control, and other support.
Speech, occupational, or physical therapy
Patients may require assistance in relearning daily tasks or improving their speech skills after an injury or illness. A physical therapist can help patients regain or strengthen their muscles and joints. An occupational therapist can help patients with developmental, physical, or emotional disabilities learn how to do daily tasks such as dressing, eating, and bathing. A speech therapist can help patients with impaired speech regain their ability to communicate clearly.
Medical social service
The patient’s medical social worker provides a variety of services, including counselling and the locating of community resources that can help with recovery. If the patient has complex medical needs, a social worker can also act as the patient’s case manager.
Care from your home health aides
Home health aides are trained to assist patients with their basic needs, such as dressing, getting up, bathing, and walking. Under the guidance of a nurse, some aides have been trained to provide more specialized care.
Basic assistance or Homemaker
A homemaker, or someone who assists with household chores, can take care of a patient while they are being taken to the hospital.
Johns Hopkins Home Care
Patients of all ages receive high-quality, personalized care in their own homes or communities. We offer equipment and services that will help you regain your independence.
Companionship
For some patients, a companion may be necessary to provide support and supervision. A companion may also be able to perform household chores.
Volunteer Care
Volunteers from local organizations can offer basic comfort by providing companionship, personal care, transportation, emotional support, and/or assistance with paperwork.
Nutritional assistance
A dietitian can visit a patient’s house to conduct dietary assessments and provide guidance to help with the treatment plan.
Laboratory and XRay imaging
Some laboratory tests such as blood or urine can be done at home. Portable X-ray machines also allow lab technicians to perform the service at their homes.
Pharmaceutical services
Home delivery of medicine and medical equipment is possible. Training can be provided to the patient on how to use the equipment and medicines, as well as intravenous therapy, if necessary.
Transportation
Many companies offer transportation services to patients who need to travel to or from a medical facility to receive treatment or for physical examinations.
Home-delivered meals
Many communities offer Meals-on-Wheels to those who can’t cook at home. Hot meals may be delivered multiple times per week depending on the individual’s needs.
Johns Hopkins Advantage MD
This Medicare Advantage plan provides PPO and HMO products for 12 Maryland counties, including Baltimore City. Advantage MD, which is backed by Johns Hopkins Medicine connects you with high-quality coverage at low prices for your everyday health care needs.
