The healthcare community is abuzz with talk of home-based care and how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the push for versatile treatment solutions. From virtual care technologies to house call doctors, providers scramble to accommodate new needs from patients who cannot (or will not) visit the doctor’s office.
But have private-duty home care agencies kept up with this hyper-evolution within the healthcare ecosystem? After all, these companies already provided home-based care prior to COVID-19. Has anything changed for them? And more importantly, does anything need to change?
Simply answered, COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses in the traditional home care agency model. Here are reasons why their duties have, in fact, expanded and why companies that haven’t updated their systems and service offerings are less equipped to manage the needs of today’s clients.
Monitoring changes in condition
Over the years, many home care agencies have focused primarily on staffing caregivers to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) without much thought given to ongoing care management or reporting activities. And for the most part, this model worked okay for some families and clients. While companies that provided hands-on oversight clearly added extra value, their above-and-beyond approach wasn’t always necessary.
But COVID-19 has changed the landscape dramatically. More and more clients routinely skip doctors’ appointments while relying on home-based care. They need comprehensive oversight to address disease progression and changes in condition, and home care agencies with licensed nurse (Registered Nurse) resources are better positioned to monitor these. While Registered Nurses certainly aren’t replacements for doctors and specialists, they are trained in assessing general wellbeing and can monitor vital signs and other critical health data.
Providing medical care in the home
What happens if a home-bound loved one needs catheter care or a blood draw? Can a traditional private-duty home care agency provide such services to aid families during COVID-19 shut-downs? In most cases, the answer is “No.” And despite widespread misunderstandings within the community, Medicare “home health” services have many gaps in care.
There are legal and safety considerations when it comes to the administering of medical services, and the limitations are not simply bureaucratic statutes but are also rooted in common sense. It’s absolutely critical for healthcare professionals to have the right training and experience to ensure the safety of patients. Unfortunately, private-duty home care agencies without skilled nursing resources are very limited in scope given clients' needs in today's home-bound, pandemic conditions.
Coordinating healthcare services
In addition to clients’ new needs as they pertain to home-based medical services, other care coordination activities are also frequently required these days. Families are more inclined to ask their home care provider to secure durable medical equipment (DME) or lab testing, given seniors’ social-distancing priorities. Generally speaking, caregivers and home care representatives without nurse licensing are less effective at securing and coordinating such services—especially when factoring-in Medicare and insurance logistics.
Closing Thoughts
Some industries remain stagnant for years or decades, and then dramatic events suddenly force huge change overnight. As the COVID-19 crisis lingers, it seems private-duty home care is in the midst of such evolution. No doubt many established agencies will work to expand their offerings beyond mere caregiver services, and some may add licensed nurses for purposes of client assessments and ongoing care management. But other companies, like BrightStar Care, have had such resources in place for years and are already well-prepared to aid families and clients with comprehensive caregiving and nursing services.
If you’re seeking home care for a friend or loved one, be sure to call BrightStar Care today for a free Registered Nurse (RN) assessment!
But have private-duty home care agencies kept up with this hyper-evolution within the healthcare ecosystem? After all, these companies already provided home-based care prior to COVID-19. Has anything changed for them? And more importantly, does anything need to change?
Simply answered, COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses in the traditional home care agency model. Here are reasons why their duties have, in fact, expanded and why companies that haven’t updated their systems and service offerings are less equipped to manage the needs of today’s clients.
Monitoring changes in condition
Over the years, many home care agencies have focused primarily on staffing caregivers to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs) without much thought given to ongoing care management or reporting activities. And for the most part, this model worked okay for some families and clients. While companies that provided hands-on oversight clearly added extra value, their above-and-beyond approach wasn’t always necessary.
But COVID-19 has changed the landscape dramatically. More and more clients routinely skip doctors’ appointments while relying on home-based care. They need comprehensive oversight to address disease progression and changes in condition, and home care agencies with licensed nurse (Registered Nurse) resources are better positioned to monitor these. While Registered Nurses certainly aren’t replacements for doctors and specialists, they are trained in assessing general wellbeing and can monitor vital signs and other critical health data.
Providing medical care in the home
What happens if a home-bound loved one needs catheter care or a blood draw? Can a traditional private-duty home care agency provide such services to aid families during COVID-19 shut-downs? In most cases, the answer is “No.” And despite widespread misunderstandings within the community, Medicare “home health” services have many gaps in care.
There are legal and safety considerations when it comes to the administering of medical services, and the limitations are not simply bureaucratic statutes but are also rooted in common sense. It’s absolutely critical for healthcare professionals to have the right training and experience to ensure the safety of patients. Unfortunately, private-duty home care agencies without skilled nursing resources are very limited in scope given clients' needs in today's home-bound, pandemic conditions.
Coordinating healthcare services
In addition to clients’ new needs as they pertain to home-based medical services, other care coordination activities are also frequently required these days. Families are more inclined to ask their home care provider to secure durable medical equipment (DME) or lab testing, given seniors’ social-distancing priorities. Generally speaking, caregivers and home care representatives without nurse licensing are less effective at securing and coordinating such services—especially when factoring-in Medicare and insurance logistics.
Closing Thoughts
Some industries remain stagnant for years or decades, and then dramatic events suddenly force huge change overnight. As the COVID-19 crisis lingers, it seems private-duty home care is in the midst of such evolution. No doubt many established agencies will work to expand their offerings beyond mere caregiver services, and some may add licensed nurses for purposes of client assessments and ongoing care management. But other companies, like BrightStar Care, have had such resources in place for years and are already well-prepared to aid families and clients with comprehensive caregiving and nursing services.
If you’re seeking home care for a friend or loved one, be sure to call BrightStar Care today for a free Registered Nurse (RN) assessment!