Patient care services are agencies that appoint caregivers at home for seniors and individuals suffering from health conditions that limit their ability to do daily activities. These agencies provide a wide range of services that cater to patients’ requirements. Having a caregiver at home for seniors and patients can be helpful in improving their overall quality of life. This article provides tips for choosing the best services for patient care.

Types of patient care services
The patient care service one requires will differ among individuals. For instance, patients suffering from a major health condition would require more specific health care than a senior requiring help with daily activities. The basic types of patient care services are,

Nursing care
Nursing care is the most common form of patient care service. A registered nurse will set a plan of care after consulting with the doctor. Nurses may provide health support like wound dressing, ostomy care, administering medications, intravenous therapy, and pain control.

Occupational, physical, and speech therapy
Individuals recovering from illness or an injury may need help with relearning basic activities such as movement and speech. While a physiotherapist may help the patient regain muscular and joint strength, an occupational therapist may help patients get better with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and eating.

Home health aides
Home health aides simply help patients with their basic personal needs like getting out of bed, walking, bathing, and dressing. Some are trained to assist with more specialized care under the supervision of a nurse.

Choosing the right patient care service
These three factors can help you choose the best patient care service:

Reputation
Taking care of seniors or patients with significant health conditions at home requires a certain set of skills. Hence, make sure the patient care service is accredited by an esteemed health organization. The nurses and caregivers appointed by these services must be professionally trained, certified, and experienced. Read the reviews or ask neighbors and friends about the credibility of the patient care services you have shortlisted.

Partnerships
Having the right paperwork to be a registered patient care service may not be enough. The best services have collaborations with nearby and reputed healthcare centers. Partnerships with other centers ensure a swift response in case of emergency situations. The best patient care services also have telemonitoring facilities to record real-time biometric data like heart rate and blood pressure.

Price
Affordability is also one of the most important factors for choosing the best patient care services. The average cost of home health care is between $15 and $20 per hour, depending on the location. One important thing to note here is that Medicare covers intermittent, skilled home health care for patients that meet all the eligibility. Contact the patient care service provider to make sure that their services are covered under Medicare.

Best patient care services
Close to 4.5 million people in the country seek patient care services to help improve their quality of life. With over 12,000 home healthcare agencies, it is important to choose the one that suits an individual’s particular need. Here are some of the best patient care services to choose from:

AccentCare®
AccentCare is considered to be one of the best home health care providers. It is available at over 165 locations and offers hospice and personal care services along with nursing. This firm also uses telemonitoring systems to deliver biometric data like blood pressure, blood glucose, and pulse to keep the medical support team ready for necessary action. AccentCare is accredited by Community Health Accreditation Partners and is recognized by the We Honor Veterans program.

Elara Caring
Elara Caring is known for its nursing for post-operative assistance and focuses on recovery and rehabilitation at home. Its services include nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Elara Caring offers a CAREtinnum program that uses predictive analysis to identify patients at risk. They also offer patient care services for a wide range of mental conditions like anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar, and other disorders.

Kindred Healthcare
Kindred Healthcare provides a 24/7 toll-free helpline and has registered nurses to identify appropriate care options. This patient care service supports patients of all ages and is available in 41 states. Reviews suggest that the staff is well-equipped with skilled nurses for palliative care, cardiac care, dementia, Alzheimer’s, pulmonary, and even orthopedic care.

Interim HealthCare Inc.
This patient care service is known for providing specialized care to adults and children with special needs due to illness or injury. Interim HealthCare Inc. also includes healthcare services for patients who need to use a feeding tube. This firm has specialized offerings for home health care for patients suffering from arthritis, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, paraplegia, joint replacement, and even traumatic brain injury. Interim HealthCare Inc.’s HomeLife Enrichment Program aims to add purpose to basic safety and independence.