Explaining the Concept of Home Health Care Services- A Review

Abstract

“Home-based care” refers to the spectrum of services provided in the home to support patients, which includes professional caregiving,  nursing services, home based primary care and hospital at home  to  chronically ill and bed ridden patients of which substantial numbers are bedridden, immobile or suffer from chronic illnesses like dementia,  heart disease, cancer, chronic liver diseases, chronic lung diseases, hypertension, diabetes etc “Home healthcare services are an extension of hospital services into the patient’s house. However, the home care services range from basic support on activities of daily activities like dressing, grooming, ambulation, changing diapers, assisting with the commode  preparing meals  to complex nursing services like Wound dressing, feeding through naso-gastric tube, catheter  change, injection and tracheotomy. The major  goal of home health care services are to help individuals to improve, function and live with greater independence; to promote the patients optimal level of well-being; and to assist the patient to remain at home, avoiding hospitalization or admission to long-term care institutions. The researchers in the present study reviewed about 50 research studies which were undertaken on Elderly population, Nurses, General Duty Assistance and Patients. As the number of older beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions continues to rise, providing care in the most effective and efficient setting have become even more critical. Therefore the patient preference and satisfaction are increasingly becoming key measures of performance, but on the other hand providing a safe and secure environment to the caregivers(Nurses and GDAS) is the responsibility of patient and their families.