Although medical services are the most needed during this time of the pandemic, it’s also the most scarcely offered. Hospitals are the ground zero of the virus, so medical institutions accept and prioritize those in critical conditions as much as possible. But just because of the continuing surge of the virus does not mean other conditions do not need medical attention.
So if you’re a patient or know one who feels hesitant to go to the hospital to receive treatment, below are health services they can have at home.
Social Services
For people suffering from different health conditions, professional health workers can serve as someone who’ll manage cases and bring forth the right services to provide the proper medical attention. In addition, social workers also work as counselors, which is essential during these times, given that the pandemic affects infected people and can also cause stress and anxiety.
Companionship
Companionship services cater to people living alone and mainly for individuals who require close supervision because they may be healing from an injury or are suffering from health problems related to old age. However, when needed, companions can also perform essential household duties to ensure that their patients can stay in a clean and comfortable environment.
Homemaker
Closely similar to companionship, a homemaker is a professional who tends to people needing supervision. They provide care by accomplishing chores around the house, such as cleaning and getting groceries, taking care of their patient by seeing that they are having proper meals, and simply maintaining the household to keep it in excellent condition.
Pharmaceutical Services
Pharmaceutical services enable patients to have medical equipment delivered to their house instead of going to the hospital to get the care they need. Also included in this service is the training of the patient’s caretaker so they can operate their requested medical equipment properly. If you’re the one attending to a patient, you can make them more comfortable by learning new ways to enhance your service or adding a cozy massage chair to their home care equipment.
Home Health Aides
It’s difficult to attend to a patient’s personal needs, like bathing, dressing, or simply walking if you don’t have the training. To give patients the proper care, you can enlist the service of a health aide. Home health aides are professionally trained under the supervision of registered nurses, making it perfectly alright for you to leave your loved one in their care.
Laboratory Tests
One of the busiest parts of the medical system presently is laboratories. Since the virus is relatively new, medical research centers and laboratories work endlessly to create vaccines and other cures that can contain or end the pandemic. With labs packed with work, regular folks need to undergo a lengthy process to get the tests they need. As a solution, some tests, such as blood and urine examination and even X-rays, can be safely and conveniently done in a patient’s home.
Physical Therapist
Therapy sessions are also one of the medical services that have temporarily ceased due to the pandemic. The key to successful rehabilitation for individuals suffering from a medical injury or condition is consistent therapy sessions. A pause only hinders their progress and reduces the chance of a complete recovery. Medical institutions get on top of this issue by offering physical, speech, and occupational therapies at home performed by a professional therapist to help patients continue their road to recovery.
Nutritional Services
Vital for patients suffering from eating disorders or have a medical condition that requires them to eat specific foods, dietitians offer nutritional services to ensure that they remain adequately nourished. This at-home service performed by dietitians also includes assessments, which allow them to create specific meals that contain the vitamins and minerals a patient needs.
Mobile Kitchens
Like food assistance programs, Mobile kitchens or meals-on-wheels aren’t exactly performed at home but serve people by roving the streets to distribute food. Mobile kitchens are now part of the essentials, especially for ailing individuals whose medical conditions prevent them from going to the grocery and fixing themselves healthy meals. Even though home-delivered meals only occur several times a week, it still allows people to enjoy hot food that can provide them with a bit of comfort during this time of isolation.
Mobile Clinic
As with the other services listed above, a mobile clinic visits communities and offers free health care and diagnostics. Various healthcare services come in a customized vehicle that provides different medical services, primarily preventative and primary care to attend to conditions that require the most attention. But often, these clinics also offer dental, hearing and vision, mental health, and pediatric care. Even before the pandemic, institutions have used mobile clinics to give impoverished communities or neighborhoods in hard-to-access locations with proper health care.
Thanks to outpatient care services medical institutions offer, caring for a loved one is more manageable, especially amid the pandemic.