It is estimated that by 2051, the elderly population in India will reach around 300 million. Medical advancements have increased people’s average life expectancy. To ensure that elders age healthily, there needs to be robust patient care services to take care of elderly needs.
In the case of surgeries or other procedures, the post-treatment period is critical. According to a survey, the elderly population in India was not satisfied by governmental healthcare schemes. Patient care during this period is essential for a swift recovery. An elderly patient care program should be about the comfort and safety of elders.
Patient care services cannot be standardized. Not all elders have the same old age issues. For example, some elders might be in excellent health and not need additional care. While a few others may have severe old age problems that affect their quality of life. Patient care services can go a long way in providing the needed care and support for all elders. Here are a few ways patient care can be implemented effectively.
8 Guaranteed Tips For Excellent Patient Care
1. Home Care
There is no shortage of hospitals and old-age nursing homes. Yet, nothing can beat elders’ homes as the best choice for recovery and care. You can choose care services where attendants visit the homes to provide elders with medical help. For example, blood tests, taking bio-samples, and checking blood pressure and blood sugar levels can be done at home. You can also engage the services of patient care services that can remain with your elders 24/7 and provide care all day long.
2. Be Patient
Anyone who chooses to take care of elders needs to be patient. Attendants may need to repeat their instructions multiple times before elders receive the message. Elders also move slowly, and their reaction time decreases. Therefore, attendants must be patient, move at the elders’ pace, and adjust to their speed and comfort levels. Being impatient will be detrimental and harm the process of taking care of elders.
3. Active Listening
Similar to patience, attendants also need to improve their active listening skills. Even if an elder’s speech may be slow or confusing, attendants must listen carefully and understand what an elder is trying to communicate. Being patient and listening well can help an attendant ask clarifying questions to understand what the elder needs.
4. Co-ordination
While home nurses provide care services at elders’ homes, they are not qualified to do everything. Home nurses and attendants need to have access to an elder’s primary doctors and other emergency services for prompt help when needed. Ambulances and emergency care can help provide advanced help beyond the scope of home nurses and attendants.
5. Embrace Technology
Technological advances have made connectivity and even medical consultations easy. In fact, in 2021, there were 3 million online consultations conducted through the Indian government’s telemedicine platform. They were life savers during the pandemic. Telephone and video consultations can help elders attend follow-up appointments virtually without stepping out of their homes. However, elders or at least their primary attendants must be up to date on technology to apply the same while providing support services.
6. Adjust To Sensory Problems
Many elders suffer from sensory issues like vision or hearing loss. Many elders also experience cognitive impairments. Memory problems and difficulty in concentrating, can make doing daily tasks difficult for some elders. Patient care, in this instance, is to make the surroundings safe and adjust them to the elder’s comfort and ease. Treatment plans need to account for the cognitive and sensory issues of elders.
7. Empatise With The Elders
Patient care requires empathy from attendants. Elders need to know that their primary caregivers understand the problems they are going through. Nurses and attendants need to imagine themselves in the elder’s place and understand how they would feel in similar circumstances. Understanding can ease communication between elders and their attendants and open doors to proper care and support.
8. Be Clear In Communicating
The receiving and comprehending abilities start reducing as you grow elders. For elders, this results in a lack of patience and a feeling of insecurity. Nurses or other caregivers need to speak plainly to elders. They need to communicate with elders using short, easy-to-understand words to avoid confusion. Elders need to understand what their caregivers are talking about and reply to any questions regarding their health.
Conclusion
Elder care services can help improve patient care in general. For example, the pandemic shed light on the need for patient care services for elders in their homes.
SenOcare services was established in India during the covid pandemic to provide patient care services in Gurgaon to elders. Over the years since its inception, the company has spread its wings to provide elder care services in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Hyderabad. SenOcare provides 24/7 comprehensive patient care to elders in the absence of family.
The care managers at senOcare can speak to you and your elders and identify the proper course for optimal patient care. In case of severe illnesses, the expert panel at senOcare can help draft guidelines which nurses and attendants can use to provide support. To know more about patient care services in Gurgaon, you can contact senOcare at +91 8800 700 100 or email info@senocare.in.
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