The Advantages Of Home Healthcare Services
“It has been found that people receiving routine care at home show improved results also leading to better mental and emotional health”
According to the World Health Organization, in India, there is an extreme shortage of doctors. Also, data from the Indian Medical Association shows that the country is in dire need of more critical care specialists.
Thus, the healthcare sector In India faces numerous challenges and of these, the most critical is the shortage of hospital beds in comparison to the number of terminal cases with a poor prognosis, or the ones with a good prognosis needing only basic support.
Innovations In The Healthcare Domain
A Paradigm Change In The Healthcare Industry
However, the ecosystem of the healthcare industry is witnessing a paradigm change today, with technology and portable equipment changing how healthcare is delivered. Hence, home healthcare is last emerging as a boon for those with chronic diseases, including elderly patients, the physically challenged and people in need of medical care for extended lengths of time. And such care is not just limited to nursing care or physiotherapy. Even complex healthcare such as ICU, uncomplicated birthing services, dental treatments, and dialysis services, to name a few, can possibly be availed of in the comfort of ones home.
Benefits Of Home Healthcare
In many modem families, one or more members are employed outside the home. With lite in the fast lane, finding the right solution for family members suffering from health issues is increasingly important and technology has made it possible to provide good medical care right at home. Family members can now stay in an environment where they receive round the-clock expert attention without major disruption of their daily schedules.
Home healthcare also saves one from the logistics of multiple hospital visits and the resultant time constraints. Others in the family can be with the person too, as they rest and recover in the comfort and convenience of their home. Such options can end up saving a family over 60 per cent on the medical and time costs. It also reduces the chances of acquiring hospital borne infections.
Patient satisfaction Is shown to be higher in such cases as it has been found that people receiving routine care at home show improved results leading to better mental and emotional health. According to a paper titled, ‘Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life of Home Healthcare Patient’ published in the journal, Asian Nursing Research, ADLs (activities of daily living) and instrumental ADLs were significantly improved among the participants who underwent homecare service within a period of 60 days. There was also remarkable improvement in the overall quality of lite. The report was based on hundred home healthcare patients who received services from a healthcare agency.
Setting Up An ICU At Home
The home ICU services help a patient recover under medical care, in a familiar environment with the emotional support of the family members. An excellent level of care is provided while allowing the person who is undergoing the treatment to experience the comfort of being in a familiar, home environment. Some home ICU services also cater to people with specialized needs and those who insist on healing or recovering in the comfort of their homes.
The home ICU facility reduces hospitalization effort and cost, enabling smooth transition from hospital to home. The facilities provided include a high- end bed, oxygen infrastructure, medical ventilator, bedside monitors and all other equipment available in a hospital ICU. To man the entire set-up, home ICU services also provide 24-hour ICU nurses highly trained in managing an ICU set-up. The patient is also constantly monitored by a doctor.
Nurses can send real-time updates to the referral doctor as well as the medical panel. This in turn helps the doctor in changing the drug dosage or treatment regime depending upon the patient’s condition. This service is particularly useful in patients who are discharged from hospital, at request in end of lite care or when there is a poor prognosis.
Healthcare Services At Home
Traditional homecare services have been prevalent in India, However, there is a need for primary and preventive care driven by high-end technology. This demand-driven change is slowly expanding the options available in healthcare delivery, from tertiary care at hospitals to care at home.
Healthcare consumers as well as hospitals/nursing homes are increasingly realizing the benefits of healthcare services at home and it won’t be long before this sector develops in line with other healthcare delivery institutions in the country.