Offering in-home care services is one of the core features of community paramedicine. By providing treatment through home health visits, patients receive comprehensive and cost-effective solutions when they need it most while decreasing strain on healthcare facilities and personnel. In-home patient care also starts with a few simple steps that can lead to improved outcomes and quality of life for those in need.
Emergency rooms are meant to aid those in urgent need of medical care, yet shockingly only one-third of ER admissions regard true emergencies. We can ease the burden on our healthcare system and ensure that emergency departments have resources available for genuine crises by treating minor ailments at home. Not only will this help prioritize real emergencies, but it will also free up 911 operators and ambulance services to swiftly come to the rescue when necessary.
As patients transition from hospital to home, they can feel vulnerable and in need of extra care during the first weeks post-discharge. During this early period of recuperation, it is essential that those convalescing receive adequate support.
Home health services make emergency room visits a measure of last resort. Through either an in-home visit or telehealth, medical professionals provide quality assessment and treatment for anything from chronic pain to when something simply doesn’t feel right. Only if the situation proves life-threatening should you consider relocating outside your home for immediate intervention.
Outpatient care is costly – an emergency room visit can average around $1,400 and inpatient hospital services typically start at several thousand dollars.
Ambulance services often charge patients by the mile, making it costly for those who live farther away from a hospital. Fortunately, home healthcare comes in to save the day–clocking in at approximately 52% less than what one would pay at a hospital! With such an amazing cost difference between these two options, why not opt for home healthcare?
Oftentimes doctors’ visits or trips to the emergency room can bring individuals into contact with others, which is especially dangerous for elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Exposure to other patients could result in further medical issues like serious infections.
By providing healthcare services in a patient’s home, the risk of contagion is dramatically minimized or even eliminated. Instead of interacting with a whole team of medical professionals that may have been exposed to numerous contagious individuals, one-on-one care from only a few health workers is possible. With telehealth medicine contact between patients and caregivers can be completely avoided.
Navigating medical services from outside one’s home can be a daunting task. In rural locations, there is typically an extreme shortage of speciality care providers, as well as being geographically removed from the nearest health facility. On the flip side, large cities present their own set of problems — demand for such services are often overwhelming and scheduling appointments may prove to be next to impossible in many cases.
Home health services can deliver care on a schedule or when most needed with the use of telehealth. Instead of enduring long wait times for an appointment, patients can receive immediate assistance from healthcare professionals via routine screenings and follow-up visits. During these interactions, medical personnel are also capable of evaluating other factors that influence a patient’s total well-being – such as lifestyle habits and family support networks. Medical practitioners can monitor a patient’s health and development over time to craft individualized care plans tailored to the patient’s exact requirements.
When a beloved family member resides at a distance, in-home health services offered by community medicine can bring peace of mind.
Without a doubt, remote patient monitoring ensures that patients in even the most isolated regions can still access quality healthcare. With this technology, medical professionals are able to check up on your loved one and provide evaluations of their overall health or answer pressing needs swiftly.
Paramedics and other healthcare professionals have the power to enable patients to take charge of their own health. This could mean adhering strictly to medical instructions or using medications as recommended by a doctor. By doing so, paramedics can ensure that individuals are in control of their wellbeing.