Overnight Home Healthcare Services
When you think of home healthcare services, you may not think of overnight options. The truth is that many families need overnight care for their loved ones. If you are in this situation, you may not be sure what services are available during the overnight hours. Here are a few of the overnight services you can request from a home healthcare agency and what to know about each service.
Sitting Services
Sitting services are one of the leading overnight services a home healthcare agency may provide. This type of service ensures that you or your loved one has someone in the home overnight while you sleep. The sitter is awake and available to help with a range of issues. For example, your loved one may need help going to the bathroom overnight. You may also have an issue with your loved one having breathing issues or waking up disoriented at night. Having sitting services during this time can ease the worry and ensure there is someone there to prevent injuries.
Dinner and Morning Meals
Your loved one may have someone with them during the day. In fact, there may be a certified nurse aide or home health aide with them. The issue may be in the evening and into the morning with things like food and preparing that food. A service an overnight caregiver can provide is cooking dinners, snacks, and morning meals for your loved one who is in need of home health. If your loved one has specific dietary needs, the overnight caregiver can ensure meals meet these needs.
Medication Management
There is a misconception that medication management is unnecessary during overnight or sleeping hours. The truth is that there are people who do need nighttime medication. This medication may be necessary before bed or it may be necessary for various as-needed issues. For example, you may have a loved one that needs an overnight caregiver and also needs to have medication for heartburn and other issues that can happen over night. This means you will need to have a caregiver that can safely give this medication or other treatments such as breathing treatments or CPAP machine assistance.
When you are ready to discuss the home healthcare services that are best for your family's needs, contact your local home healthcare agency. They can discuss your options, determine what your loved one's insurance will cover, and determine when a care worker can begin their services in your home. If you are in need of specific services, discuss your concerns with the care staff. They will be able to help you with those concerns and with ongoing services you may need.
