The city of Houston is home to a world-renowned medical community. The Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world, as well as 85 other hospitals are located in the area. In fact, health care professionals make up 7 percent of the Houston-area workforce, according to the city of Houston website. However, there are over 5 million people living in Houston, and for the elderly, recently injured and permanently disabled, home health care may be the best option.
Typs
There are a wide variety of services offered by home health care companies in Houston. Most offer skilled registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses to assist with medical procedures in your own home. They can assist with drawing blood samples, wound care or caring for catheters, colostomy bags, or feeding tubes. Elderly and disabled individuals can also get assistance with personal hygiene care, housekeeping, meal preparation, companion services and running errands. You can also find companies that will provide a wide variety of therapy services, respite care and hospice care.
Considerations
Choosing the right company to care for your loved one can be difficult. It may give you peace of mind to consult organizations such as Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice and the National Duty Association. These organizations hold their members to high standards. You will also need to consider what the insurance or medical plan you or your family member carries will cover.
Expert Insight
According to the National Duty Association's website, when interviewing potential companies, you should inquire about how they recruit, screen and hire their caregivers and if the company is bonded and insured. Be sure it is clear whether the company or you as the individual are responsible for payroll and tax deduction.
Benefits
The Texas Association for Home Care website reports that studies indicate that people heal faster in their own home as opposed to in an institution. Whether it is a child or an aging parent, home is likely to be the place where they will be most comfortable. For an aging parent, allowing them to be as independent as possible helps them maintain their dignity, and allows them to be comfortable as they age. For many people, home health care provides a high quality of life.
Tube Feeding
Feeding tubes are used to assist in feeding a patient who cannot feed themselves or cannot feed themselves enough to meet daily nutritional requirements. Many of the Houston area home healthcare companies have trained caregivers who are trained in tube feedings. Cameo Caregivers and Glorious Healthcare are two Houston-based home health care companies that offer tube feeding as one of their services.
