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A good home health care agency provides the services of the following professionals who work together as a team when needed to ensure that the patient receives the proper level of care at all times: patient's physician, home health care nurse, rehabilitation therapists, social worker, home health aide, and personal care worker/home attendant.
Nurses
There are two types of nurses licensed by the State of New York. Registered nurses provide such services as developing a plan of care with the patient's physician and in consultation with the patient and her family, administering medications (orally, by injection, or intravenously), and educating the patient and family on self-care methods. Practical nurses may provide most of the care that a registered nurse does, but may not perform some of the consultative services such a developing a plan of care.
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are nurses who have undergone extensive advanced training after receiving their nursing degree. They are licensed to perform many of the activities that only physicians have traditionally performed, such as diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications. Nurse practitioners, however, are more restricted in their practices than physicians - for example, they cannot practice surgery. Many patients prefer nurse practitioners to physicians for providing primary medical care, since nurse practitioners are more available for home visits and tend to spend more time with their patients. For a patient under home health care, nurse practitioners can be an indispensable member of the home health care team.
Rehabilitation Therapists
Rehabilitation therapists provide restorative treatments to patients following surgery, illness, or an accident. Physical therapists help restore strength, flexibility, coordination, and general function. Occupational therapists work to help patients regain the skills they need to function in their day-to-day activities, such as learning how to dress and to bathe safely. Speech therapists or speech language pathologists help patients regain their ability to produce and understand speech, as well as facilitate their communication skills. Respiratory therapists help with respiratory ailments, while nutritional therapists focus on helping patients adopt short- and long-term diets to maximize their health given their physical and/or medical conditions.
Social Workers
In the context of their home health care work, social workers are specialists in helping people cope with the medical, functional, emotional, psychological, environmental, and financial challenges of living in their own homes. They are trained in counseling and in how to access community services, either provided by the government or by community organizations.
Home Health Aides
Home health aides are certified by the New York State Department of Health. They receive extensive training in areas such as working with immobile patients and Alzheimer's patients, monitoring a patient's temperature and pulse rate, and preventing infections. Home health aides can also monitor a patient's medication schedule. However, aides are not permitted by law to administer medication. They can only count out the pills for the patient who must put them in his own mouth. Home health aides often help with household activities such as doing laundry and preparing meals.
Personal Care Workers
Personal care workers (home attendants in New York City) are specially certified under New York State law. The scope of their services is essentially limited to providing assistance with ADLs and IADLs. They may not perform the medically related activities that a home health aide can, such as taking a patient's temperature. For people who need help only with daily activities of living, the services of personal care workers are invaluable.
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