Preventing Infection From The Coronavirus Is One Of The Top Benefits Of In-Home Care During A Pandemic
Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 (coronavirus), you may be considering home care for your loved one. Pegasus home care professionals in Eagle Rock and elsewhere understand your concern. This article presents the facts and the top benefits of in-home care during a pandemic.
Although the focus now is on COVID-19, home healthcare workers have provided services in other epidemics and pandemics. They have attended to individuals in need of all levels of assistance.
Some isolated individuals just need someone to check in regularly to make sure they’re okay. Others are disabled and need help daily with self-care. Some are cognitively impaired and can’t be left alone.
Infections, such as the flu or COVID-19, are passed from one individual to another. Nursing homes have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus. If your loved one is in a care facility, you may be thinking of alternatives.
In-Home Healthcare Professionals Assist Family Caregivers
Many family caregivers choose to have their loved one live with them. If that’s your preference, things to consider include:
- Safety – Many residential facilities have instituted “lockdown” practices. They don’t allow visitors, including families. Restricting visitors reduces the potential for infection, but it also means you can’t personally monitor the welfare of your loved one. Can you adequately restrict visitors to your home? Can you convince your loved one to stay inside?
- Quarantine practices – How many in your household regularly go outside the home? Each excursion increases the risk of exposure to the virus.
- Personal protection – Does everyone in your home practice good hygiene, such as frequent handwashing? Do they wear masks or other protective items?
- Ability of caregivers – Do you or responsible family members have the time and expertise to provide the necessary level of care? Do you have backups in case someone isn’t able to continue helping?
Family members often add caregiving to everything else they do and quickly become overwhelmed. An in-home healthcare expert can help you minimize your loved one’s risk factors. They can also provide a respite from your caregiving duties.
In-Home Healthcare Professionals Know How To Prevent Infection
In-home care services offer many benefits for individuals. Most importantly, home care professionals are already trained in how to prevent infection. While that’s always essential, it’s become even more crucial during the current pandemic.
With COVID-19, many home caregivers are implementing additional precautions. They are taking extra steps to keep you and your loved ones safe. Gloves, masks, and other protective equipment are now standard during all encounters.
They also carefully monitor their own health. Professional caregivers check their temperatures regularly. They also evaluate whether they have other symptoms of infection before entering a home.
In-home healthcare providers also take steps to protect their own families from infection. Some minimize the time they spend with their children. Their goal is to avoid transmitting the coronavirus between their families and those they care for.
When appropriate, caregivers substitute phone calls or video wellness checks for a personal visit. As part of every visit, they determine whether your loved one has developed symptoms of an infection. Their early assessments mean that individuals get prompt medical care and possibly avoid hospitalization.
In-Home Healthcare Professionals Provide Personalized Care
Most individuals prefer to live at home. They are happier in familiar surroundings and following their own schedules. That improves their overall health and speeds their recovery if they do become ill.
In-home healthcare keeps your loved one out of institutions and safe from exposure to infection. They get the personal attention that’s important for their physical and emotional well-being. They also receive care that is designed to meet their needs rather than one-size-fits-all procedures.
Your loved one keeps their freedom and independence when they are cared for at home instead of in a facility. They may get up and move around as much as they are able, or want, to. They retain their dignity and privacy.
With in-home health services, you or your loved one have more control over contact with others. Assistance is provided only by authorized professionals. During a pandemic, minimizing contact with random outsiders is essential.
Not having to leave home for healthcare significantly reduces the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. Home healthcare services are comprehensive. You or your loved one have assistance with:
- Meal planning and preparation
- Medical care after an accident or hospitalization
- Medication administration and management
- Personal hygiene
- Therapy
- Skilled nursing
- Wound care
A home healthcare professional can answer questions that you or your loved one have.
If you don’t live near your loved one, in-home healthcare gives you peace of mind. They are getting the care and assistance they need. And you know that safeguards are in place to minimize their exposure to COVID-19.
Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. Since 1994, we have consistently provided quality home care in Eagle Rock and our other locations. We adhere to the highest ethical and clinical standards as part of our in-home healthcare services.
