We believe that screening and monitoring the health condition of a chronically ill patient and health education are vital to helping them remain independent at home. If deteriorating health goes unnoticed, more acute care or out-of-home placement may be needed. Overlooked health problems can also lead to injuries in the home that are preventable.
VHS Nursing Care is centered on:
- Improving the recipient’s health by ensuring that prescribed treatment plans are followed
- Monitoring the recipient’s health status to avert serious complications
- Maintaining the recipient’s health through increased knowledge
VHS Nursing Care that is personalized to bring about peace of mind for the patient and family includes:
- Health Education helps clients and families understand treatments and routines and promote recognition of signs and symptoms to prolong health. This reduces the anxiety surrounding the illness and the feeling of dependency.
- Medication Management including set-up and administration to assure that medication instructions are being followed and health is maintained.
- Wound And Other Postoperative skilled care assures proper convalescence at home, improves the likelihood for a better recovery and reduces the chance of re-admission.
- Health Supervision identifies changing and deteriorating conditions allowing for earlier intervention to avert more serious complications. This monitoring and screening improves the patient’s ability to live independently and avoid out-of-home placement.
VHS Nursing Care provides a professional Registered Nurse who can check vital signs and test results, provide answers so you understand health instructions, assure you that treatment plans are being fulfilled properly at home, and coordinate community services. The registered nurse can also focus on the transition from hospital or nursing home to home to ensure that the patient and family are comfortable with care at home.
Family members or caregivers who are concerned but do not live close by, a nurse can reassure you that your loved one’s health is being looked after by a trusted, competent professional.
Health professionals, VHS Nursing Care can act, as your eyes and ears in the home to evaluate the progress of a patient, provide needed treatments and coordinate community care to ensure the best possible outcome.
VHS Nursing Care usually makes short home visits so care is affordable. Except in cases where the doctor orders regular treatments, visits are often not more than once a week. If the recipient’s condition is stable visits by the registered nurse can be once a month.
Why is a nurse important?
Chronic illness when not treated and monitored can lead to life threatening consequence. For example:
Diabetes (American Diabetes Association)
- 18% of Americans 65 years of age and older have diabetes.
- Cardio-vascular disease is 2-4 times higher among persons with diabetes.
- Complications from the disease include blindness, kidney failure and amputation and are preventable in most cases with regular check-ups and education.
- The risk of stroke is 2-4 times higher and causes 65% of deaths among persons with diabetes.
- Diabetics are roughly three times more likely to die of the complications from flu or pneumonia than people without the disease.
When is VHS Nursing Care needed?
- Someone is hospitalized or coming home from the hospital or nursing home.
- Chronic illness that entails understanding and carrying out therapeutic regimes and activities of daily living.
- When professional help managing the complexities of care at home is needed.
- An expectant mother is having a difficult pregnancy.
