Long Term Caregivers Case Study

Hi Gerline,

Thank you for your contribution this week to our discussion concerning the support and incentives for long-term caregivers. In fact, your statement that relatives are the ones who provide the most direct support for family members who are in need of long-term care. Often, family members are faced with the responsibility of providing transportation to the doctor, hospital visits, radiology appointments and so on. However, the big question is: Who will provide the post-operative care for mom or dad after they return home from surgery? Question: Have you or anyone in your immediate family required the assistance of home health care after a complicated surgery? And if so, how were the arrangements coordinated between your family

members?

Patients who have had surgery are often released to go home only after spending a few nights in the hospital for observation, thus forcing family members to share the responsibility of providing assistance and care for a speedy recovery at home. This type practice has become a norm in the medical industry, especially favored by third-party payers. According to Long-Term Care Managing Across The Continuum; "The key to successfully providing subacute care is good planning. It involves assessing each patients needs, developing a care plan to meet those needs, constantly reviewing the care plan and adjusting it as needed. In addition, if the care plan is not done carefully by qualified staff, the care plan will have negative results, increased longer-than necessary stays because of inadequate treatment and latter leading to dissatisfied patients which in turn will lead to dissatisfied reimbursement organizations (Pratt, 2010)."

With this said, it is very important for family members to take advantage of home caregiver training and assistance programs to provide the best possible care for their family members at home. Again, thank you for your contribution this week.

WC: