When you or a loved one is dealing with serious medical ailments or changes in independence, you may need to decide your next step. Working with an in-home healthcare agency might be the right step to manage your healthcare needs and maintain your remaining independence.

Remain in Your Home

One of the decisions many people will have to face is moving to an assisted-living facility or nursing home. Choosing in-home healthcare is an intermediary decision that can allow you to stay in your private residence longer and determine whether there are improvements in your condition that can help you continue living independently longer. Additionally, staying at home can be vital to maintaining long-term partnerships or keeping animal companions; loss of either may contribute to depression. In some cases, even with serious or terminal medical conditions, people can spend the remainder of their days in their own residence with the assistance of caregivers and in-home medical personnel.

Avoid the Inconvenience of Lengthy Treatments

Some people face lengthy treatments, such as hemodialysis, which may result in many hours at a dialysis center. Depending on the specific healthcare agency you choose, you may be able to avoid going to a dialysis center multiple times per week for treatment. There are additional benefits to having treatments inside your home. If you work from home, with this method there will be fewer disruptions to your work schedule.

Also, many of these treatments make people feel weak or ill for hours or days following the treatment and can make them more susceptible to communicable diseases. Staying at home for treatments means you can relax in a comfortable position and have someone nearby in case you feel dizzy or otherwise ill. You can also keep yourself safe from common illnesses, such as the common cold or flu. Privacy may also be a concern; many people are concerned others will notice they go to a dialysis center and want to maintain their privacy as much as possible by receiving in-home treatments.

Minimize Access-to-Care Problems

Access-to-care problems can arise if you have limited transportation or if you live in a remote area. Chronic-disease management, wound care, and the maintenance of medical equipment are all concerns that could be easily addressed by a healthcare agency. Some agencies also offer pain-management and physical-therapy services. This allows more people to have access to various treatments to improve their condition that they may otherwise skip because of their inability to attend weekly appointments at a distant location.

Homecare is more than helping people with feeding and bathing. Numerous skilled-nursing services are available to meet various medical needs and provide supplemental treatments.