In celebration of Home Health Month this November, we’d like to share an all-too-common story (well, maybe everyone’s story doesn’t involve a St. Bernard) of someone who learned the importance of in-home healthcare services.
Picture it, Sicily 1912—totally kidding, we’re setting this stage in Minot, ND, in 2021. You live independently in the home you’ve lived in for the last 40 years. After losing your husband a decade ago, you’ve grown to cherish the memories of your home, and the support from your helpful community. You told your family that not even Elvis Aaron Presley himself inviting you to live at Graceland would convince you to leave.
You’re enjoying an unseasonably warm fall afternoon in your back yard. As you’re walking toward your front door, out comes your neighbor’s St. Bernard. He’s headed for trouble— quickly approaching your freshly planted mums to do who only knows what. Before you politely shoo him away, he dashes to greet you, and down you go! Naturally, he licks your face and lies at your side (which does in fact keep him from your pretty mums—let’s make this a happy story).
When you wake up the next morning, you realize your knee is quite sore and the scrape is looking dodgy. As the day progresses, walking across your home to take your medications and test your blood sugar has become a painful struggle. Your appetite wanes because it hurts to cook. It’s high time to see a doctor (a wise choice after any fall).
Your family doctor diagnoses you with a knee sprain and weakness. Nothing is broken, you do not require surgery or what you dread the most: a stint at the nursing home for recovery. Doc orders you to complete outpatient wound care treatments and physical therapy, or PT.
After attending a couple of PT sessions and a visit to wound care, you begin to realize that the drive to the clinic and walking across the parking lot is too much. You miss some therapy. Your wound won’t heal properly since you’re diabetic and not eating as much.
In a perfect world, we don’t fall, we don’t become injured (and dogs don’t get into our flowers), but let’s face it, real life happens. While it’s commonplace to skip out on appointments if we don’t feel up to going, that can unfortunately jeopardize our health and abilities long-term.
There’s truly no place like home, and we know conditions and injuries are best treated where you feel most comfortable. Edgewood’s continuum of care model offers expert care providers to meet your needs, wherever you call home.
Depending on where you live, you may not need to drive to therapies; there may be therapy and skilled nursing services available to you at home.
Skilled home healthcare is not help with vacuuming, laundry or cooking. While those services are out there, skilled home healthcare is more like help from registered service professionals, such as nurses or licensed therapy professionals, who come to you.
The Edgewood Health Network offers several skilled healthcare services in the comfort of your own home. Whether you live in your private residence or in an apartment at an Edgewood assisted living or memory care community, skilled in-home care services from therapies to RN wound care may be available.
Here’s what the Edgewood Health Network can offer:
- Physical Therapy: Physical Therapists can help you recover and teach you ways to prevent further injuries through movement.
- Occupational Therapy: Occupational Therapists can help you adapt your movements and daily to-do lists in a way that supports your condition.
- Speech Therapy: Speech Therapists can evaluate your communication and swallowing, to identify and suggest approaches to keep you safe and successful.
- Registered Nurse (RN) support: RNs can help you manage your meds, complete wound care, provide intravenous treatments or even take labs in the comfort of your home—they can also be available on call, 24 hours a day.
- Registered Dietitian services: Registered Dieticians offer helpful tips for you to use nutrition to successfully manage your health conditions.
- Medical Social Worker support: Medical Social Workers can provide grief support or even assist you in long-term care planning.
The above list is only a summary of what may be available.
Skilled home health services may be covered under Medicare Insurance, Medicaid, or the Veterans Administration, or they can be funded independently. We’re happy to help you explore your coverage when you speak to us for a referral.
Whether you’re nursing an injury from your neighbor’s St. Bernard or you just want to increase your strength to avoid falls, our providers can work with your doctor to improve your odds for safety and success at home.
To determine if skilled healthcare services are available in your area, please reach out to us today by email at info@edgewoodhealthcare.com.
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