How Home Care Helps after a Stroke
Home care specialists provide support and assistance as your loved one returns home after being hospitalized for a stroke.
How Home Care Helps after a Stroke
What is Home Care?
Home care is a more personalized alternative to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It provides services such as personal care, homemaking, companionship and more to individuals living at home, so they can remain comfortable and independent for as long as possible.
Home Care vs Home Health
Home health is typically short-term medical services administered in the home to treat an illness or injury. This type of medical assistance is usually provided by a registered nurse, physical, occupational or speech therapist. Home care agencies are often requested to provide supplemental care as the patient transitions.
Who is a Good Candidate for Home Care?
Home care can be beneficial for individuals who are getting older, are chronically ill, are recovering from a surgery or are disabled. Perhaps your loved one needs assistance with day-to-day tasks but does not need to be in a nursing home or hospital. Home care could be the right fit for them.
What Types of Home Care Services Are Available?
Home care looks different for everyone. Each individual’s needs are unique, and home care can be tailored to fit those needs. Depending on what your loved one’s needs are, caregiving services can be available 24-hours a day or a few hours each week. Some of the services include:
Personal care:
• Bathing, Grooming, Dressing
• Toileting and Incontinence
• Medication Reminders
• Mobility Assistance
• Repositioning to
Avoid Bedsores
• Transportation to and from Medical Appointments
Companionship:
• Conversation
• Reading Aloud
• Hobbies and Projects
• Outings and Events
• Morning Wake-Up & Evening Tuck-In
• Assistance with Attending Religious Services
Homemaking:
• Grocery Shopping, Cooking and Clean-up
• Errands and Shopping
• Transportation
• Light Housekeeping, Laundry and Ironing
• Changing Bed Linens
• Pet and Plant Care
Home Care Interventions for Patients being discharged for Stroke
Research shows that 9% of individuals who have suffered from a stroke will be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) While this number is low, there are still things that can be done to prevent a readmission. Home care can help provide services so another trip to the hospital isn’t likely.
Our agency uses evidence-based practices that are proven to reduce the risk of readmission and promote the health of those who have recently had a heart attack:
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is one of the most important parts of recovery for stroke survivors. Stroke rehabilitation helps to build strength and capability so stroke survivors can continue with daily activities. A home caregiver can provide transportation to and from rehabilitation to make sure stroke survivors are relearning what they need in order to become independent.
Fatigue
Individuals who have suffered from a stroke will likely have a decrease in energy and experience fatigue. Fatigue often occurs without warning and makes it difficult to do everyday routine activities. Home care specialists can help by assisting with light housekeeping, changing linens, lifting heavy items, and meal prep and planning. Caregivers can get work around the house done so stroke survivors can rest easy.
Personal Care
Stroke survivors may have difficulty with fine motor skills that can make simple tasks like dressing, grooming, bathing and bathroom trips difficult. Caregivers can help assist with these tasks so stroke patients don’t get frustrated at the difficulty of them. Caregivers can help with personal care so individuals are taken care of.
