Technology has been on an impressive upswing since the COVID-19 pandemic entered our worlds. Though this virus has taken many lives and negatively altered others, some positives in the medical industry have occured when it comes to managing care. The pandemic increased the growth of home health care trends, with more specialists visiting and caring for their patients in their own homes. This change has shifted the way practitioners provide their care and how comfortable patients feel when receiving it. With these home health care trends so widely recognized in the field, it doesn’t seem like there will be a slow down anytime soon.
Increase of Companionship Services
The COVID-19 pandemic made many people recognize the companionship needs for many adults struggling with loneliness or feeling disconnected from the world around them. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine stated that one-third of those around the age of 45 felt lonely, while social isolation was a struggle for one-fourth of those around the age of 65.
With transportation barriers, disabilities and dementia in mind, these increasing statistics brought the need for in-home care to the forefront—especially during the pandemic. Many health plans are now accepting companionship services and many agencies and foundations are supporting this need more than ever.
Labor is Lacking
Burnout and in-person work were already concerns in the healthcare industry; it’s no surprise the pandemic brought these issues even closer to the surface. With rising home health care trends and needs comes the need for more workers. Many medical workers and family members have not returned to in-person work due to the pandemic, causing issues with staffing at offices and in hospitals.
With in-person labor being at a low, unique solutions are tackling some of these issues. Caregivers have the option to get paid by caring for their loved ones so money is not spent on a nurse or outside support. Telehealth and remote home monitoring have also been able to resolve some staffing issues. When practitioners make virtual visits, patients can be cared for without facing scheduling trouble or feeling uncomfortable in a public setting.
Personalized Quality of Care
The development of impressive medical technology has exploded over the last year or so, leading toward more in-depth ways to care for patients, especially those with chronic illnesses. These improvements and discoveries are also part of the reason home health care trends are on the rise. More can be done in the patient’s home or through digital devices. With more practitioners learning about these up-and-coming technologies, the quality of patient care is growing at an impressive rate.
Technological improvements are bringing forth better, more personalized care when patients are receiving care in their home. More practitioners are performing certain procedures in patients’ homes that typically would only be done in a sterile hospital setting. Between increased quality of care and new technological supports being available to use in a home setting, in-home care management will continue to be a hot topic.