A Quick Guide To Home Nursing Care - What Is It and What Does it Cover? (2023)

A Quick Guide To Home Nursing Care - What Is It and What Does it Cover? (1)

Josh Plotnek

Joshua is a marketing content professional with a background in education and retail. He studied Creative Writing and has five years of experience in content writing. Joshua is a passionate writer for Connecteam’s blogs.

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With the pandemic affecting the way that doctors, nurses and medical companies treat those in need, home care is becoming increasingly more common with each passing year. Let’s break down specifically what home nursing care is, the kind of services it provides and the tools you can use to add this service to your business.

Table of contents
  1. What Is Home Nursing Care (In General)?
  2. What Is In-Home Nursing Care?
  3. Manage Your Home Nursing Care Business Digitally
  4. The Bottom Line On Home Nursing Care

With the pandemic affecting the way that doctors, nurses, and medical companies treat those in need, home care is becoming increasingly more common with each passing year. Let’s break down specifically what home nursing care is, the kind of services it provides, and the tools you can use to add this service to your business.

If you’re reading this, you already know how important it is to provide top-quality, affordable care for those who need it the most.

After all, many senior citizens with severe LTSS needs (Long Term Service and Support) struggle to afford up to 2 years of paid senior home care without some kind of financial assistance.

Whether you’re already running an in-home nursing care business, or considering expanding your services, it’s important to know about the various types of home care that you could offer at an affordable price.

Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down exactly what home nursing care is, the various types that might appeal to you and the tools you need to get your home care business up and running.

What Is Home Nursing Care (In General)?

Coming up with a home care definition can be tricky as it’s a pretty broad term. In short, it is a wide range of health care services that can be provided for anyone with specific needs – ranging from physical and mental to emotional and more.

The following people primarily benefit from home care:

  • People with chronic illnesses
  • People with injuries/medical setbacks that prevent them from living safely in their home
  • People who are retired or aging and require assistance to live independently
  • People with disabilities
  • People with special needs

Home health care has proven to be a less expensive and more convenient alternative to healthcare in a medical facility, like a hospital or a skilled nursing facility.

Nurse care at home can be provided on both a short-term or long-term basis depending on the client’s needs and typical home caregivers include nurses, therapists and aides.

And with two-thirds of nursing homes believing that they wouldn’t stay open in 2021 due to increased COVID costs, the need for various types of home health services is greater than ever.

Different Types Of Home Care

Services that home care businesses provide vary depending on the client’s needs. But generally, home care can provide the following benefits:

  • Keeping clients safe in their own home
  • Assistance with everyday activities such as dressing, bathing, feeding and catering, etc.
  • Companionship, socializing
  • Physical, mental and emotional therapy or rehabilitation
  • Short/long-term at home nursing care
A Quick Guide To Home Nursing Care - What Is It and What Does it Cover? (8)

And there are plenty of typical services that are worth considering specializing in when setting up a home care business.

Popular Home Care Services

  • Doctor care

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  • Medical social services

  • Physical/speech therapy

  • Basic assistance care

  • Companionship

  • Volunteer care

  • Laboratory and X-ray imaging

  • Pharmaceutical services

  • Nutritional support

  • Home-delivered meals

What Is In-Home Nursing Care?

One of the most common kinds of home care is specifically in-home nursing care. In this case, nurses provide a wide range of cost-efficient services for patients, depending on their own personal needs, from the convenience of their own homes.

After a client has been diagnosed, a home health nurse will consult with a doctor to create a care plan to achieve specific goals.

In home nursing care is intended mainly for clients who are well enough to be discharged from hospital, but are still in need of a nurse to perform preventative, therapeutic and/or rehabilitative services.

Nursing care at home can be short-term, long-term, shift schedule-based, hourly, daily or weekly.

Home Nursing Care Services Business Owners Should Consider

  • Providing medication

  • Ventilator care

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  • Tracheostomy care

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) care

  • Spinal cord injury (SCI) care

  • Wound dressing

  • Pain control

  • ALS/MS care

  • Vital sign monitoring

  • Ostomy/gastrostomy care

  • Feeding tube care

  • Catheter care

Manage Your Home Nursing Care Business Digitally

A digital solution can help make running a home nursing care business much easier.

As a business owner or home care service manager, you need an easy way to dispatch nurses/caregivers to the different patients’ homes, and cater to their specific needs.

The truth though is that it can be extremely difficult juggling various responsibilities such as tracking nurses’ hours, scheduling their shifts, maintaining compliance at all times, and communicating efficiently.

With an all-in-one software solution like Connecteam, you can perform all of these tasks from the convenience of your desktop and mobile device (depending on the task).

A Quick Guide To Home Nursing Care - What Is It and What Does it Cover? (9)

You, the manager, can benefit from a digital solution in the following ways:

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  • Use an employee time clock app to accurately track your nurses’ work hours and ensure they arrive at the right homes on time with geofence and breadcrumbs technology.
  • Maintain compliance with a daily inspection checklist app, easy medication risk assessment forms, incident reports, equipment visual checks, and more.
  • Use an employee communication app to send important updates to your nurses, provide engaging posts, easily message all staff members through a 1:1 or group chat and easily search for any staff member using an employee directory.

Manage Your Home Nursing Care Business From One Place

Connecteam’s home nursing care app makes managing staff easy, efficient and affordable.

Learn More

And your nurses will also benefit from a digital solution, in a variety of ways. These include:

  • Using an employee scheduling app to stay instantly up-to-date with the latest shift details/changes.
  • The ability to clock in and out of their shift, wherever they may be working.
  • Quick, instant internal communication with upper management and the rest of the workforce.
  • Easy access to all important information (policies and laws, for example) and the ability to sign off on all forms and documents.

With a digital solution, these work processes no longer need to be tedious or performed with pen and paper. And all of this can be achieved on the go, with a mobile application that is easy to use and affordable.

A real-life example:

Caremark, a major UK care provider, uses Connecteam’s all-in-one employee management app to engage its distributed workforce, enhance communication, and provide care assistants with needed support. It does this by:

  • Improving communication: The organization can share company news, deliver business-critical messages, and maintain open lines of communication with remote employees.
  • Gathering employee feedback: Care assistants can share their views and ideas directly with upper management through surveys, polls, and other communication tools.
  • Showing appreciation: Managers can send employees recognitions and notes of gratitude.
  • Sharing company knowledge: Employees can easily access company policies, procedures, and operations manual from their mobile phones.
  • Enhancing eLearning: The care staff can complete mandatory eLearning programs in a user-friendly way.

The Bottom Line On Home Nursing Care

With the world of healthcare still navigating its way through the global pandemic, home nursing care is a growingly popular service that helps to tackle the threat of overpopulated hospitals, staffing and retention issues.

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s Neil Charness said the following in regards to the majority of healthcare expenditures being spent on hospital care:

“If I were trying to cut costs in this very costly system, I would try to eliminate as much as possible unnecessary visits to hospitals and unnecessary visits with physicians, because those are the two biggest slices of the pie.”

With at home nursing care, both of those costs can be reduced significantly.

If you’ve reached this far, you’re either new to this industry or already running a home care business of some kind.

Whatever the case may be, we are confident that after reading this, you’ll have a better idea of what home nursing care is, the various services this field provides and tools for home care professionals you can use to make your business thrive.

The #1 App To Run Your Home Nursing Care Business

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FAQs

What are the two types of home care? ›

Personal Care: This home care service includes bathing, dressing, and grooming. It also includes assistance with toileting and incontinence care. Homemaker Services: This type of home caregiving task include laundry, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and light housekeeping.

What are the 4 types of care? ›

In general, there are four common care environments: Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes, and Adult Daycare Centers.

What are the goals of home health care? ›

In general, the goal of home health care is to treat an illness or injury. Home health care helps you: Get better. Regain your independence.

Does Medicare pay for home assistant? ›

Home health aide: Medicare pays in full for an aide if you require skilled care (skilled nursing or therapy services). A home health aide provides personal care services, including help with bathing, toileting, and dressing.

What are 3 examples of home care services that a client can receive? ›

At-home care services may include:
  • Doctor care. A doctor may visit a patient at home to diagnose and treat the illness(es). ...
  • Nursing care. ...
  • Physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy. ...
  • Medical social services. ...
  • Care from home health aides. ...
  • Homemaker or basic assistance care.

What is the difference between home care and nursing home care? ›

Home care not only provides caregiving assistance, they also provide companion services that will escort individuals to any appointments, stay overnight for security, and provide cooking and nutritional services. However, most nursing home will not offer companion services that enrich client lives.

What are the 3 C's of care? ›

Caring, communication (listening and explaining), and competence—the three C's of clinical confidence.

What are the C's in caring? ›

According to Roach (1993), who developed the Five Cs (Compassion, Competence, Confidence, Conscience and Commitment), knowledge, skills and experience make caring unique.

What hospice does not tell you? ›

What Does Hospice Care Not Include? Hospice care does not include curative treatment. The goal of hospice care is to provide comfort and support rather than to cure the disease. Hospice may not include medications you have grown accustomed to taking, such as chemotherapy or other medical supplements.

What are the 5 health goals? ›

5 Health Goals Worth Sticking To
  • Practice Self-Care. Self-care is about taking care of yourself to improve your emotional, physical and mental well-being. ...
  • Get Moving With Mobile Health Apps. It's no secret that daily exercise can improve your health. ...
  • Ditch the Diets. ...
  • Eat Your Fruits and Veggies. ...
  • Fuel Up On Superfoods.

What are the 3 types of goals? ›

There are three types of goals- process, performance, and outcome goals.
...
Goal-Setting
  • Process goals are specific actions or 'processes' of performing. ...
  • Performance goals are based on personal standard. ...
  • Outcome goals are based on winning.

What is the most common diagnosis for home health care? ›

The 5 Most Common Conditions that Lead to Home Health Care
  • Arthritis.
  • Heart Disease.
  • Cancer.
  • Respiratory Diseases.
  • Parkinson's.
Jan 14, 2018

Which type of care is not covered by Medicare? ›

Medicare and most health insurance plans don't pay for long-term care. Non-skilled personal care, like help with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, eating, getting in or out of a bed or chair, moving around, and using the bathroom.

Which is generally covered by Medicare for the homebound patient? ›

Medicare considers you homebound if: You need the help of another person or medical equipment such as crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair to leave your home, or your doctor believes that your health or illness could get worse if you leave your home.

What qualifies a patient for skilled nursing care? ›

Overall, a patient who requires daily care for any health condition is qualified for skilled nursing care. Individuals who require ongoing medical care after an injury, rehabilitation or other highly effective medical treatment qualify for skilled nursing care.

What are 4 things that are part of your role as a caregiver in the home? ›

Assisting with personal care: bathing and grooming, dressing, toileting, and exercise. Basic food preparation: preparing meals, shopping, housekeeping, laundry, and other errands. General health care: overseeing medication and prescriptions usage, appointment reminders and administering medicine.

What are the 5 types of caregivers? ›

The most common type of caregiver is the family caregiver: someone who takes care of a family member without pay. The other types are professional, independent, private, informal, and volunteer caregivers.

What are two categories of clients who commonly need home care? ›

In-home care services can help someone who is aging and needs assistance to live independently; is managing chronic health issues; is recovering from a medical setback; or has special needs or a disability.

What is the advantage of having a home care nursing? ›

The advantages of home health care are boundless. Recovery time is quicker, pain levels reduced, and most importantly the flexibility to recover at your own pace in familiar surroundings. More independence – Loss of independence can be a worrying factor when considering care options.

What is the average length of stay in a care home? ›

The survey found that 72% of new admissions had died after 42 months. The median length of stay was 19.6 months for all admissions. Median length of stay for people admitted to nursing beds was 11.9 months and for residential beds it was 26.8 months.

Is nursing home the best choice for elderly people? ›

When considering how best to deal with the problems of getting older, you need to be sure that your loved ones receive the highest standards of care. Nursing homes have a number of advantages over other alternatives, making them an excellent choice for the elderly who are struggling to cope in their own homes.

What is Lydia Hall's theory? ›

Care, Cure, Core Theory

Lydia Hall used her knowledge of psychiatry and nursing experiences in the Loeb Center to formulate her theory. Also known as “the Three Cs of Lydia Hall,” it contains three independent but interconnected circles: the core, the care, and the cure. The core is the patient receiving nursing care.

What are the 3 C for empathy? ›

At Santa Clara University we often refer to the 3 C's: competence, conscience, and compassion.

What are the 6 Cs of nursing? ›

The 6 Cs – care, compassion, courage, communication, commitment, competence - are a central part of 'Compassion in Practice', which was first established by NHS England Chief Nursing Officer, Jane Cummings, in December 2017.

What are the 4 P's of nursing? ›

It's based on the 4 P's of nursing: Pain, Potty, Position and Periphery.

What are the 4 P's of patient care? ›

A structured approach involves addressing the “4 Ps” during each rounding visit:
  • Pain (Is it controlled?)
  • Personal Needs (Does the patient need hydration or nutrition, the restroom, etc.?)
  • Position (Is the patient comfortable?)
  • Placement (Are personal items and the call light within reach?

What are the 12 fundamentals of care? ›

The fundamental standards
  • Person-centred care. You must have care or treatment that is tailored to you and meets your needs and preferences.
  • Dignity and respect. ...
  • Consent. ...
  • Safety. ...
  • Safeguarding from abuse. ...
  • Food and drink. ...
  • Premises and equipment. ...
  • Complaints.
Aug 25, 2022

What is an end of life injection? ›

Anticipatory medicines are sometimes also called end of life medicines or just in case medicines. It's common to prescribe medicine for pain, anxiety and agitation, nausea and vomiting and noisy respiratory secretions.

What is the last breath before death called? ›

Gasping is also referred to as agonal respiration and the name is appropriate because the gasping respirations appear uncomfortable, causing concern that the patient is dyspnoeic and in agony.

What drugs are given to hospice patients? ›

The most commonly prescribed drugs include acetaminophen, haloperidol, lorazepam, morphine, and prochlorperazine, and atropine typically found in an emergency kit when a patient is admitted into a hospice facility.

What is an unhealthy lifestyle? ›

Malnutrition, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol consuming, drug abuse, stress and so on, are the presentations of unhealthy life style that they are used as dominant form of lifestyle.

What are the 10 healthy tips? ›

  • Measure and Watch Your Weight. ...
  • Limit Unhealthy Foods and Eat Healthy Meals. ...
  • Take Multivitamin Supplements. ...
  • Drink Water and Stay Hydrated, and Limit Sugared Beverages. ...
  • Exercise Regularly and Be Physically Active. ...
  • Reduce Sitting and Screen Time. ...
  • Get Enough Good Sleep. ...
  • Go Easy on Alcohol and Stay Sober.

What is a smart goal for walking? ›

Realistic: To start, walk for 10-15 minutes each day, first thing in the morning. Aim for your goal of 2,000 steps. Time bound: Reach 30 minutes per session by four weeks. Walk every morning before 9:00 am.

What is the most important life goal? ›

While some goals may be more relevant at one stage of one's life, they may lose relevance at another time and place. It's universally acknowledged nowadays, given the sweep of positive psychology sensitizations, that one of the most, if not the most, important goal of life is happiness.

What are goals examples? ›

27 More Examples of Personal Goals
  • Find a career that you love.
  • Find a life partner.
  • Become an expert or leader in your field.
  • Go for a walk every day.
  • Become a better listener.
  • Buy your first home.
  • Save X number of dollars for retirement.
  • Give back to your community in ways that matter to you.

What 3 goals must be kept in balance? ›

The second types of goals you need are your personal, family, and health goals. In reality, these are the most important goals of all in determining your happiness and well-being.

What are the dangers of home health care? ›

They have little control over their work environment which may contain a number of safety and health hazards. These hazards include bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards, latex sensitivity, ergonomic hazards from patient lifting, violence, hostile animals and unhygienic and dangerous conditions.

What problems can arise in home care? ›

These include: environmental hazards such as infection control, sanitation, and physical layout; challenges with caregiver communications and handoffs; lack of education and training for patients and family caregivers; the difficulty of balancing patient autonomy and risk; the different needs of patients receiving home ...

What diagnosis is most responsible? ›

Glossary Definition

The one diagnosis which describes the most significant condition of a patient which causes his/her stay in hospital.

What happens when you run out of Medicare days? ›

Medicare pays all but the daily coinsurance. For days beyond 100: You pay the full cost for services. Medicare pays nothing. You must also pay all additional charges not covered by Medicare (like phone charges and laundry fees).

Who qualifies for free Medicare B? ›

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) are available to the individuals below: Age 65 or older. Disabled. End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

What does Part B not cover? ›

Medicare will not pay for medical care that it does not consider medically necessary. This includes some elective and most cosmetic surgery, plus virtually all alternative forms of medical care such as acupuncture, acupressure, and homeopathy—with the one exception of the limited use of chiropractors.

Does Medicare cover home meals? ›

Medicare Part B (medical insurance) typically does not include home delivered meals or personal care as part of its home health service coverage. However, some Medicare Advantage plans may cover meal delivery service and transportation for non-medical needs like grocery shopping.

What are the duties of a home health aide? ›

Home Health Aide Job Responsibilities:

Supports patients by providing housekeeping and laundry services, shopping for food and other household requirements, preparing and serving meals and snacks, and running errands. Assists patients by providing personal services, such as, bathing, dressing, and grooming.

What is the difference between a nursing home and a skilled nursing home? ›

The essential difference can be summarized this way: a nursing home is more of a permanent residence for people in need of 24/7 care, while a skilled nursing facility is a temporary residence for patients undergoing medically necessary rehabilitation treatment.

What do the majority of skilled nursing home patients require? ›

On average, nursing facility residents require some level of assistance with three or more of the activities of daily living, which include bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting and eating. Assisted living residents need help with on average 1.6 activities of daily living.

What questions to ask when looking for a skilled nursing facility? ›

Questions to Help You Choose the Best Nursing Home
  • What is the staff-to-resident ratio? ...
  • Is there a pattern of staff turnover? ...
  • How many hours a day do staff members spend with residents? ...
  • Are there any previous cases of elder abuse or neglect by nursing staff? ...
  • How do staff members interact with residents?

What are the two different types of care for the elderly? ›

Regardless of the location in which assistance is provided, at the highest level there are two types of care, skilled care (medical care) and custodial care (non-medical care).

What are the different types of residential care? ›

What is residential care? residential care for the elderly
  • Residential Care. Residential care is a term used to describe the general care and support provided in a standard elderly care home. ...
  • Respite Care. ...
  • Dementia Care.
  • Nursing Care. ...
  • Palliative/End of Life Care. ...
  • Domiciliary/Home Care. ...
  • Sheltered Housing.

What are the three types of care? ›

Three different types of care for serious illness: Supportive, palliative, and hospice.

What are the disadvantages of home care? ›

Disadvantages of in-home care
  • 24/7 monitoring is costly. Sometimes much more medical intervention is needed for someone's safety and continued good health than can be provided in a remote setting. ...
  • Cost of highly skilled workers. ...
  • Navigating Medicare and insurance.
Apr 1, 2021

What are the five 5 principles of home based care services? ›

These five principles are safety, dignity, independence, privacy, and communication. Nurse assistants keep these five principles in mind as they perform all of their duties and actions for the patients in their care. The first principle is safety.

What are the four levels of home care packages? ›

There are four levels of Home Care Packages:
  • Level 1 supports people with basic care needs.
  • Level 2 supports people with low level care needs.
  • Level 3 supports people with intermediate care needs.
  • Level 4 supports people with high level care needs.
Oct 18, 2022

What the elderly need most? ›

Here's what senior citizens want most when they get older.
  • Community. ...
  • Food. ...
  • Routine. ...
  • Respect. ...
  • Physical Activity. ...
  • Comfort. ...
  • Financial Security. Some seniors require assistance in managing their money. ...
  • Independence. Some senior citizens struggle to take care of themselves and complete everyday tasks.

What is in the Biden plan for seniors? ›

In addition, Biden will increase the generosity of tax benefits for older Americans who choose to buy long-term care insurance and pay for it using their savings for retirement. Care for our caregivers. The physical, emotional, and financial challenges of caring for a loved one is enormous.

Who decides when someone needs to go into a care home? ›

A care home may be the best option if you or someone you know: is struggling to live alone – even with help from friends, family or paid carers. had a needs assessment that suggested a care home is the best choice. has a complex medical condition that needs specialist attention during the day and night.

Who needs nursing home care? ›

Nursing homes usually care for people with more complex health needs who need daily access to care from nurses. This can include elderly people who require ongoing medical care, those with more advanced physical and mental disabilities or long term illnesses, and those in need of palliative and end of life care.

Do dementia sufferers have to pay care home fees? ›

In most cases, the person with dementia will be expected to pay towards the cost. Social services can also provide a list of care homes that should meet the needs identified during the assessment.

What are the 3 C's of caring? ›

It can lead to improvements in their care across numerous areas—not just food & nutrition services.” PEMs play an important role in boosting patient experience. Their contribution can be summed into the 3 Cs of Improving Patient Experience in Healthcare: Communication, Collaboration, and Caring.

What types of care for elderly in nursing home? ›

Nursing homes offer 24-hour-a-day care for those who can no longer live independently. In nursing homes, trained medical professionals provide specialized care to seniors with severe illnesses or injuries. Specially trained staff assist residents with daily activities such as bathing, eating, laundry and housekeeping.

What are the 3 Rs in caregiving? ›

These three tips can help you reduce family caregiver stress and prevent caregiver burnout.
  • Reflect – You may feel overwhelmed by the many challenges of caregiving for an elderly loved one. ...
  • Recruit – You are not alone. ...
  • Relax – Family caregivers frequently overlook the benefits of self-care activities.
Mar 29, 2017

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