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Expect These Things To Be Included In A Home Health Plan

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Arranging in-home care for your elderly parent doesn't mean that you're taking a hands-off approach to his or her health. If you've previously been caring for your parent, you know just what a time-consuming process it can be. By having a home health aide visit your parent, you'll be able to step back a little and concentrate on simply being a family member, rather than a care provider. It's a good idea to make yourself available for when the health aide visits your parent for the first time. In addition to getting to know your parent a little, the aide will gather information for a home health plan. Here are some things that will be included in it.

Necessary Household Changes

In many cases, the home health aide's plan will include some recommendations for changes to the household. After the aide has assessed your parent's physical health, for example, and noticed some mobility challenges, changes may be necessary. This list could include small tasks such as removing non-essential pieces of furniture that could pose a tripping hazard. It could also include larger projects such as moving your parent's bedroom from the second floor to the ground floor; this may be needed if negotiating the stairs is a challenge.

Diet Recommendations

The aide's home health plan for your parent will also potentially include diet recommendations. Whether your parent needs to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight, or consume a specific diet based on his or her health needs, the aide will draft up some ideas and share them with you and your parent. If the aide will be preparing meals for your parent, this plan could include some meal recommendations for your parent to go over. It may also include some suggestions, such as taking unhealthy items out of the house if your parent needs to lose weight.

Activity Advice

Home health aides know the importance of their patients keeping active, so the aide's home health plan will customarily include some recommendations for how your parent can get moving. This section will be specifically tailored to your parent's health. If he or she doesn't possess a high degree of mobility, the activities could simply be some movement or stretching in the house. Alternatively, the home health plan could include plans for a daily walk that the aide can accompany your parent on. Viewing this plan, as well as asking any questions that you may have, can make you feel confident that you've chosen the right health aide for your parent.


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