Our San Francisco and Marin County RN Director of Nursing helps identify new illnesses, injuries, or symptoms that require a call to the doctor.
In a life-threatening emergency, you should always call 911.
Emergencies older adults might face include:
- Chest pain
- Heart attack
- Serious fall
- Stroke
- Sudden dizziness, confusion, or disorientation
- Trouble breathing
But for less urgent needs, you can potentially avoid a trip to the urgent care clinic or an emergency room visit by first checking with your BrightStar Care nurse or your doctor.
When to call the doctor:
- Non-Emergency Care
- When a medical condition gets worse
- When a new problem develops
- For wellness checks and regular check-ups
If you have to call 911 for your loved one or take them to the emergency room, make sure to update their primary care doctor and home care nurse on what's happened. The care team might need to modify or add new restrictions, medications, or treatments into your loved one's care plan.
When to call your BrightStar Care home nurse:
Many healthcare-related issues can go to an in-home care nurse first. Our BrightStar Care nurses are experienced RNs who can narrow down what's wrong and determine if a doctor needs to be involved.
Our registered nurse and director of nursing, is actively involved with each client in several ways, including:
- Care plan creation
- Home visits to see how the client is doing and whether they're satisfied with their care
- Regular check-ins with clients and their loved ones about how the client is doing
- Supervision of in-home caregivers
Because our nurses and CNAs regularly see their clients, they monitor and report when something is not right. Our care team investigates whether the client has experienced any new symptoms, and we bring concerns to the client or their loved ones' attention. This nurse advocacy is one way BrightStar Care delivers A Higher Standard of Care to our clients and their families.
If our certified nursing assistants (CNAs) notice something wrong while they're assisting with daily routine care, they know to report it to one of our nurses so we can investigate these potential issues.
Fewer trips to the doctor with in-home healthcare:
With nursing care at home, your loved one might not need to go to the doctor's office as often for routine healthcare.
Our in-home nurses can handle these skilled nursing needs for clients:
- Complex wound care
- Diabetes management
- Intravenous infusion therapy
- Ventilator care
To learn more about how your loved one might benefit from our expert in-home health care team call us at 415-332-3300
BrightStar Care of San Francisco and Marin County provides 24/7 to Hourly Private Duty Home Health Care and Medical Staffing Services.
We offer support around the clock, providing a full continuum of private duty care services and home nursing services. We proudly serve Sausalito, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, San Rafael, Novato, San Francisco, and Marin Counties areas.
For more information on how BrightStar Care supports Bay Area essential businesses, and to learn more about our local team of caregivers, skilled healthcare professionals – please Click Here.