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There’s No Place Like Home

“Home sweet home”, “there’s no place like home”, “home is where the heart is” – these treasured sayings are more than just sayings, they are true. There truly is nothing quite like being home. So often the discharge plan is for the patient to be admitted to a skilled nursing facility or rehab facility before going home. Many times, the family is heard to say, “If we can just get daddy home, he will do so much better!”. And very often this is true when a patient is being discharged directly home with assistance, rather than to a facility. Many clinical studies have proven that often patients heal more quickly at home. This is due to the following facts:

  • Comfort: Patients may feel more comfortable in their own home environment.
  • Mental health: Patients may feel more mentally secure at home, which can aide in getting more quality sleep, eating better, and being more physically active. There is also benefit from being around family and friends with greater frequency and having a sense of normalcy by wearing their own clothes.
  • Sleep: Sleep is the body’s time to rejuvenate, rebuild and recover. It is critical to have quality sleep when recovering from a serious injury or illness. In the hospital setting there are constant interruptions with talking, beeping equipment, frequent visits from hospital staff. The faster an individual can get back to their own bed the better.
  • Physical strength: Research proves that if you stay in bed for long periods when hospitalized, patients lose mobility, fitness and muscle strength which makes it harder for individuals to regain their independence and likely to lengthen their hospitalization. Research shows that at age 80 and older, patients can lose 10% of muscle mass just after 10 days in a hospital bed.
  • Infection risk: Patients are at a lower risk of infection at home due to exposure to pathogens in a facility/hospital setting
  • Independence: Patients may have more freedom and autonomy at home which fosters their independence.
  • Private Home health care: Private Home health care can provide services in the home that Medicare home health does not cover.

Older adults may not admit they’re struggling because they don’t want to lose their independence. One of the primary benefits of home health care is that it helps older adults continue doing everyday tasks like walking, bathing, dressing and preparing meals. So, care at home? Surveys show that given the choice, home sweet home is best place for most individuals to be. After all, there’s no place quite like it.

Author: Laura Cook

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