A prominent authority in the senior care business was recently on record for saying that hospitals are likely to shift to a home based setting, especially when it comes to hospital treatment for the elderly.
This might sound like a step backwards. After all, the days of doctors making house calls are way behind us, unless you’re watching an old Western or a rerun of Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman. But that’s not what is meant by the house being the hospital of the future. Rather, study after study confirms that elderly folk do not transition well from home to hospital to care facility and then back home again. Instead of putting someone through the potentially traumatic experience, if it can be condensed to one setting, it is so much healthier for the person receiving care. And, if a family can save money on medical expenses in the process, it becomes even better.
Logistics is the main reason why this hasn’t happened before. Doctors are in limited quantity, and they are usually found–you guessed it!–at a hospital. Bringing multiple people to one location so that doctors can better serve individuals in need just makes sense logistically.
But technology has made geography a lot less important. We’ve already seen how technology has made a lot of trips to the doctor’s office unnecessary. Given the right equipment, doctors can even do a lot of basic evaluations, like blood pressure and pulse rate, remotely. It’s only a matter of time before this is widespread. And it’s only a matter of time before even more can be done in the home. The people that benefit the most from this are those that have the hardest time getting to the doctor’s office and the ones that need to go there the most often. Seniors solidly fall into both of these categories.
And another thing that COVID has pointed out to us is that hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities can be hot spots when it comes to infectious illnesses. Keeping vulnerable people safe within their own homes could be a good way to help with a situation like a pandemic.
The part that might surprise you the most about this assertion of medical care for seniors shifting to the home setting is that non-medical care is likely to be at the center of this movement. What we’ve found anecdotally, and what multiple studies have found, is that a lot of bigger health issues can be avoided or minimized if a skilled non-medical caregiver is helping out on a regular basis.
That’s where a service like Paradise In-Home Care can be of help. And you don’t need to wait until this newer model of care becomes a reality. It’s something that can be used right now. In-home care is a great way to get your older family members the help and assistance that they need now to live a healthier life.
If you have questions, let us know. We have a team of people ready to help and get you pointed toward the ideal care solution for your unique situation.
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