At-home care can provide recovery support after surgery, maintenance aid for a chronic condition or other specialized treatment to meet individual medical needs. Help is available to connect with providers if you are new to this type of care.
A doctor may prescribe medications plus at-home visits by nurses, physical therapists or other healthcare providers. Some orders may be filled through telemedicine with patients using telecommunications devices from home or other sites.
Other care may require having specialized equipment at home to check vital statistics or to provide oxygen. Some companies specialize in providing devices to manage prescriptions for intravenous drugs or life-sustaining nutritional fluids, which call for arrangements and monitoring by Chicago home infusion services.
Don’t Be Daunted About Arranging At-Home Care
If you have been prescribed treatment or medications to be administered at home, your physician or healthcare professional may refer you to an affiliated or recommended provider. Otherwise, a variety of resources are available to help you decide on the who and how of at-home care.
Publications, professional groups and people you know can help you identify providers and services. Check out these suggestions:
- The discharging hospital or clinic may have referrals to share.
- Associations have lists of providers and their backgrounds.
- Government offices may require companies and their employees to be licensed, registered or meet educational standards.
- Support groups, relatives, friends and peer patients may have suggestions or recommendations.
Ask Questions Until You Are Satisfied
Healthcare providers rely on networks and referrals to provide patients with immediate and long-term care, including situations requiring treatment at home. After you have some recommendations, visiting a service provider’s website will tell how a company cares for its patients, administers treatment and follows through on doctor’s orders.
Another crucial step is to check with your medical insurance company about the costs of treatment and coverage. The insurer can shed light on the system of in-network providers and give you other details important to your decision-making.
