You will have to make many decisions when you or your loved one is suffering from a terminal condition. While it is an emotionally devastating period, prompt decision-making will be essential to help a patient live as fulfilling a life as possible. One of the decisions you will need to make quickly is the type of health care you will need at that time. In states like Indiana, home-based hospice care or institution hospices can be your health care options.
While most people would want to spend maximum time with a patient, they are apprehensive of home-based hospice care. They worry that this option means giving your loved one second-rate medical care while you want only the best for him/her. While this might have been so in the past, there are different technologies used by hospice centers nowadays to guarantee their patients in home-based care receive as optimal care as if they were in the institution. The following are some of these technologies.
Sensors
Remote patient monitoring will enable a trained healthcare provider to pick up any abnormal issues and respond appropriately. Sensors are placed in various sections of the home and can trigger an alarm if a patient misses a meal or medication. They are however routinely used in patients with memory disorders in conjunction with terminal conditions. They enable a caregiver to keep track of a patient; they also help a trained healthcare provider to keep track of any issues which affect a patient’s quality of care.
Remote Monitoring Tools
You need not travel to and from hospice centers to get the essential readings of various parameters in your patient. There are now remote monitoring tools which allow a hospice center to keep track of a patient’s vital signs even if they are far from the patient. Consequently, a trained health care specialist will use the data collected to recommend appropriate actions if any readings are unsatisfactory.
Telehealth Systems
These allow a doctor to assess a patient’s condition and give instructions using any internet-enabled device. The doctor will evaluate the patient via a camera and talk to the patient to find out any concerns. After this, they could give specific instructions on what should be done to boost the comfort and well being of the patient. In most cases, the instructions are assigned to a nurse or trained hospice care professional on the ground. This minimizes the costs of having a doctor visit a patient in person.
Automated Appointment Scheduling
This technology allows for the automated scheduling of a physician’s appointment and drug- refills. The timeframe between the schedules depends on the time of the last appointment and the patient’s state. Automation of these issues allows caregivers not to forget them since they can get overwhelmed when caring for a patient.
The above technologies have significantly changed the face of home-based care for terminally ill clients. They streamline various aspects of care to give patients optimal care. This way, patients can spend maximum time with your family without a negative impact on their wellbeing. All you need is to get a reliable hospice care provider to monitor the tools and offer expert care as needed.
