People of all ages diagnosed with a variety of conditions can benefit from in-home medical care from Sanford Health. Clients receive high-quality care in the comfort of their home, avoiding an extended hospital stay or moving to a rehab center.
Some of the specialized services include:
- Medication management
- Physical, occupational and speech therapies
- Rehabilitation
- Wound care
In-home medical care provides treatments for a wide range of conditions. A few common ones include:
1. Heart disease or heart failure
In-home services can help clients establish a healthy lifestyle if they have heart disease or have had a heart attack.
Caregivers can teach clients techniques for managing heart disease and other heart conditions. This includes helping them stay healthy and conditioned with physical therapy and home exercise programs.
“It’s not just a one-and-done thing. It’s what the client needs to do now and then continue even when they’re done with in-home medical care,” said Teresa Mayer, administrator for Sanford Home Health & Hospice in Spirit Lake and Sheldon.
Caregivers educate clients on the lifestyle changes they should make. They also teach them the signs and symptoms to be aware of and when to notify their home health nurse.
2. Stroke
Our team also offers physical, occupational and speech therapy services to help those who have suffered a stroke. This can help clients regain their ability to communicate wants and needs with loved ones and get back to doing everyday tasks.
“Caregivers are there maybe three times a week for a few weeks, then twice a week for a couple of weeks and then maybe once a week for a couple of weeks,” Mayer said.
When needed, clients are given adaptive equipment so they can live safely in their homes. Occupational therapists teach them and their family members how to adjust so they know what their new normal will be like.
"It’s what the client needs to do now and then continue even when they’re done with in-home medical care.” Teresa Mayer, Sanford Home Health & Hospice
Physical therapists encourage clients to work on their home exercise program and can also work with them on progressing to outpatient therapy.
Caregivers also provide patients with information about community resources, like Meals on Wheels.
“There is hope. They wouldn’t necessarily have to go to a nursing home,” said Mayer.
3. Respiratory diseases like COPD, asthma and emphysema
Our team can provide consistent monitoring of pulse, warning signs, and blood oxygen levels. Caregivers can monitor those needing daily supplemental oxygen.
“They’ll help patients with different breathing exercises to preserve and conserve their energy so they don’t get into crisis mode and need to go to the hospital,” Mayer said.
Various types of equipment, resources and exercises can benefit patients struggling with respiratory diseases.
“There are different ways to work with the lungs to make them work the best at certain times of the day. The nurse can look at medications the patient is on and how to best optimize them,” she said.
4. Cancer
For those fighting a cancer diagnosis, in-home services can help manage and treat side effects, wounds and secondary infections in the comfort of the client’s home.
Caregivers will assess what the client’s current level of strength is and find out their goals while working around their treatment schedule. They provide personalized services, education and reminders.
5. Alzheimer’s, dementia or confusion
Diseases that affect the mind can be some of the most stressful to deal with for family members and their loved ones.
In-home services can help improve the client’s quality of life through physical, occupational and speech therapies, helping them increase strength and mobility as well as improve cognitive abilities.
“We teach the family to support the client to keep them in their home as long as we can,” said Mayer. “Safety is big. It’s also going to be about caregiver support and burnout. Taking care of a loved one is a hard job. We make sure they have resources of what’s available in their community.”
There are times when Mayer and her team get a referral for home health and do an evaluation, but the client doesn’t meet the criteria. They support the person and their family by directing them to resources that can help.
Learn more
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Posted In Health Plan, Healthy Living, Rehabilitation & Therapy, Rural Health, Senior Services
