Your dad fell and fractured his hip. He’s going to go home, but skilled nursing care is recommended. What is this level of care and how does it help him recover?
Skilled nursing care is a service where skilled nurses come to the patient’s home to assist with medical care needs. It’s often recommended by doctors after a stroke, surgery, cancer treatments, or another serious disease. It’s a good way to keep your dad from rehospitalization or discomfort.
What Services Are Available?
Nurses can inject medications and vaccines at your dad’s home. If he can’t leave his home and his doctor wants him to get caught up on vaccines he’s missing, his nurse can do that. If he has medications that require an injection, such as insulin, his nurse can do it.
IV Set Ups
His nurse will insert the IV line into his vein, administer the medications or fluids he needs, and remove the line when it’s no longer needed. This is especially useful if he had surgery and is on IV pain medications and antibiotics for the first few days of his recovery.
Health Assessments
Licensed and registered nurses can perform mental health and physical health assessments. His nurses can check his temperature, take his blood pressure, get his pulse, and check his oxygen saturation levels and share them with his doctors.
They can ask him how he feels and determine if he is experiencing anxiety or depression. If so, they can consult with his doctor on the next steps to take. If he needs medications changed, the change can happen at home without him having to be seen by his doctor again.
Wound Care
If your dad had surgery, fell, and ended up with a wound that had to be stitched, or has sores that became infected, skilled nursing is trained in wound care. His wound or incision is cleaned, bandaged, and checked for signs of infection.
Dietary Needs
Dietary training is another aspect of skilled nursing care. Suppose your dad has heart disease and must radically change his diet. He has to follow a low-fat, no-sugar, heart-healthy diet, and he’s struggling with that. A nurse can teach him what to eat, what to avoid, and what to have in place of something he’s craving.
How Does Skilled Nursing Care Work?
You need to have a conversation with your dad’s medical team and other family decision-makers. Family caregivers need to play a vital role in determining your dad’s care plan going forward.
Ask your dad’s doctor about the skilled nursing care services he needs once he’s home. With caregivers helping your dad with his independence and skilled nurses helping with his medical needs, your dad’s recovery will go well. Call a skilled nursing care advisor to learn more.