3 Things to Discuss with a Home Care Nursing Associate
If you are considering hiring a home care nursing employee to care for your loved one, there are a few things you will need to discuss with him or her. This is especially true if the home health agency is only providing you with one shift per day. During the other shifts, you will need to know how to identify medical emergencies and know when your loved one should visit the doctor.
A home health care nurse can provide both patient and caregiver education, which can be valuable, and even lifesaving. Here are three things to discuss with your home care nurse so that your loved one can remain healthy and safe:
Wound Care
As people age, their skin undergoes changes that are often attributed to medical conditions, hormonal fluctuations, drug side effects, immobility, and dehydration. The skin is a person's first line of defense against infection, and once a break in the skin develops, pathogens can get into the bloodstream, raising the risk for infection.
It is for this reason that you will need to ask your home health nurse how to properly assess the skin and how to perform wound care. Different types of wounds required different treatments. For example, it may be better for one type of wound to be "open to air," while another type should be dressed with a sterile, occlusive bandage.
Identifying Signs of Infection
People with preexisting medical conditions or who take steroid medications are at risk for developing infections. These infections include those of the skin, throat, and urinary tract. While skin infections and throat infections typically cause pain and redness, urinary tract infections may asymptomatic.
Ask your home health nurse how to identify symptoms of a urinary tract infection so that at the first sign, you can notify the doctor. While the most common signs of a urinary tract infection include burning upon urination, urinary frequency and urgency, lower abdominal pain, back pain, and cloudy urine, the only symptoms your loved one may experience is loss of appetite. In addition to this, sleepiness, nausea, fever, and itching may occur. Once the patient has been evaluated and treated with the appropriate antibiotic, the symptoms will resolve.
Choking Precautions
When the home health nurse leaves for the day, you will be left to care for your loved one. If the patient has suffered a stroke or has swallowing difficulties, he or she may be more likely to choke. It is important that you know how to reduce this risk, and how to respond if the person does have a choking episode.
The home health nurse can show you how to dislodge food from the throat and how to properly feed a person who has swallowing problems. If you are unable to dislodge the food from your loved one's throat, call 911 immediately.
If you need help caring for your loved one, call a home health agency such as Ameristaff Nursing Services. A home care nursing agency can provide you with nurses who are proficient in administering injections, checking blood glucose levels, wound care, tracheostomy and feeding tube care, as well as basic care such as giving baths and preparing meals.
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