Recovery care helps seniors recover from injury and illness faster than if they were on their own. Care involves assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), which includes, but is not limited to, support with eating, bathing, mobility and housekeeping.
Recovery most often takes place in the comfort of the patient’s home, surrounded by family. It aims to take the burden away from family members who would otherwise be responsible for assisting throughout each day with the recovery process. For moderate to severe illnesses and injuries, recovery care may be a more affordable alternative to inpatient recovery.
The length of time recovery lasts varies from a couple of days to more than a month, and it is applicable to a range of conditions. The following is a complete review of recovery care and how it can help elderly patients and families during the recovery process following injury or illness.
How Recovery Care Helps Illness & Injuries
The goal of recovery care is to assist patients with recovery after an injury or illness. It aims to improve the patient’s comfort level during the recovery process and improve the overall experience. It also seeks to reduce recovery time through an optimal care plan.
Recovery helps patients regain full mobility, strength and overall health during recovery. The advantages of recovery care vary for each patient. However, the more notable benefits of recovery include:
- Care in the comfort of the home
- Faster recovery times after injury or illness
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- More convenient recovery experience
- Reduced costs compared to inpatient care
- Custom-tailored recovery care plan
- Family support and participation
Recovery teams help in a variety of ways. They help patients move around the home and even help them get outside for physical activity and rehab during recovery. The teams may also assist with personal hygiene and bathing, meal preparation and housekeeping.
Families of the patient will also get relief, which is a huge benefit for many. All too often patients who are in recovery begin to feel like a burden to loved ones. With recovery care, a nurse is there to help with all of the patient’s daily activities, which takes the burden and responsibility off of family members, although family members are welcomed to participate as much as they would like in the recovery.
Of course, every patient is unique. The recovery team will tailor their services to meet the patient and their family’s exact needs during the recovery process. Early in recovery, the staff will discuss with the patient what they hope to get out of recovery care and form a plan that meets their needs precisely. The recovery staff can alter the plan, if necessary, as the care plan is carried out.
Physical Conditions That Require Sick or Injury Recovery Care
Recovery care is available for patients who have recently endured an injury or illness that requires a recovery process including in home care and support with ADLs. It is also available to patients who have temporary physical limitations and need assistance with recovering to full mobility and functionality.
Recovery from an in-home care provider is applicable to various kinds of illness. This includes recovery from the common cold, influenza, pneumonia and other more common illnesses. Recovery does not typically include medical treatment, however, so it is not ideal for patients who are still battling the illness. Instead, it is most appropriate once the illness is gone and the patient is regaining their full health and strength.
Most injuries require recovery. Recovery can help with a range of injuries, including but not limited to a broken hip, torn shoulder and severe bruises after a fall.
Another common reason for recovery is gaining full strength and health after surgery or a more complex medical procedure. This may include hip replacement, surgery to repair a broken bone and many more relatively common procedures.
How Long Does Recovery Care Take?
The length of the recovery process depends on a variety of factors, including the type and severity of the injury or illness and the method of treatment. For example, recovering from hip replacement surgery will take longer than recovering from a common cold. Therefore, recovery can take anywhere from several days to multiple months. There is no set length of time for recovery, and the length of the time is specific to each patient’s unique situation.
Recovery teams do all they can to ensure the patient is able to make a speedy recovery, although they do not skip steps in recovery or rush the process in any way. Most patients have a desire to get back to being more independent as soon as possible, and recovery care is there to help patients and their families meet their recovery goals, while also ensuring they are still able to have a good quality of life during the recovery period.
Emphasizing Personal Comfort with Professionalism
Recovery care emphasizes comfort during the recovery process. Recovery teams also help patients make a full and speedy recovery while ensuring the patient remains comfortable and maintains an ideal quality of life until they are able to get back on their feet.
A recovery staff typically includes Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Certified Geriatric Assistants (GNA). CNAs and GNAs are trained and experienced in the recovery process, and they operate in a professional and friendly manner for a quality experience overall.
Most recovery teams — including ours here at Comfort Home Care — travels to the patient’s home where they are typically the most comfortable to ensure optimal comfort and to ensure the recovery plan is carried out in a safe and effective manner.
Talk with Comfort Home Care About Your Needs
Learn more about recovery care today by contacting our friendly and professional team at Comfort Home Care. Our dedicated recovery care workers take pride in helping patients make a fast recovery and ensuring they remain comfortable and have all their needs met while they still require assistance following an injury, illness or scheduled surgery.
