Home health care is a form of home care that’s provided by medical professionals. While home care helps with things like cleaning, cooking, and transportation, home health care assists with items that are medically necessary like wound care, IVs, feeding tubes, and health checks. These services are offered by different types of nurses.
Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Licensed or certified nursing assistants handle the lowest level of home health care tasks and work under the supervision of an LPN or LVN. Typically, they can dress wounds, take blood pressure and pulse, and hand medications to a patient to take.
They can keep a patient comfortable by sitting with them and providing conversation. LNA and CNAs note when medications are taken in your mom’s medical records, record when wounds were cleaned and dressed, and ensure your mom is eating and drinking the foods and amounts her doctor recommends. If your mom is getting oxygen treatments, a CNA or LNA will monitor the oxygen supply and equipment being used.
The tasks an LNA or CNA completes are instructed and overseen by an LVN or LPN. They are not allowed to do tasks that are above their grade. If a family member asks an LNA or CNA to do a task that’s out of their skill set, they need to talk to their supervisor as it could cause problems if that nursing assistant did it anyway.
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Licensed vocational and practical nurses work under the supervision of an RN. An LVN or LPN is able to monitor and record a patient’s vital signs and observe their patient’s progress. They can talk to the family about that progress. They can administer medications and insert catheters if needed.
Registered Nurse (RN) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
Registered nurses work with doctors. They are able to complete many other advanced nursing tasks like setting up IV lines, administering injections, giving medications and infusions, and observing the patients.
RNs consult with doctors to adjust care plans as needed. They can set up and operate medical equipment, draw blood for diagnostic purposes, and teach family caregivers what to do to help care for their parent.
Advanced practice registered nurses have specialized training in a specific area. Some are nurse midwives or nurse anesthetists, but some are nurse practitioners who take on some of the job duties doctors perform.
A nurse practitioner can write prescriptions, diagnose illnesses after a medical examination, read and analyze test results, and provide training for things like diabetes care or nutritional needs.
Now that you know more about home health care and the services that are part of it, make the arrangements your mom needs. She doesn’t have to go to a nursing home or stay in a hospital after a stroke or serious fall. She can recover from pneumonia at home. Talk to a home health care specialist to learn more.