Home-based care programs are noble undertakings by healthcare institutions to enable patients to receive hospital-level care in the comfort of their homes. Also, home-based care nursing has flourished in countries with single-payer health systems but has been limited in other countries like the U.S., despite compelling evidence that well-monitored, home-based medication can be safer, less costly, and more effective than traditional hospital care. This because some patients are vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections and other inpatient care complications.

Home-Based Care Programs

Such programs are well established and profitable in England, Canada, and other countries where payment policies enhance the provision of health care services in less costly venues.

Here are some of the factors that are taken into consideration while evaluating home-based care programs against hospitalization.

1. Room and Boarding Costs

Home-based care proves to be the most cost-effective health care system offered. One of the main reasons for this is that you will not incur room and boarding costs like in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and other institutional care settings. Such costs are usually significant and often inflate the medical bill in hospitals.

Some patients may be suffering from illnesses that require constantly going to the hospital for checkups, scans and even diagnosis. Hospitals located far from a patient may have major financial implications on the patient. Furthermore, road quality also bears some weight in terms of patient transportation. Bad roads mean more time on the road and therefore more costly.

Home-based care eliminates this problem as the patient doesn’t need to travel to the hospital but still gets the same, if not better health care.

3. Diet and Nutrition

Hospital meals also form a major part of hospital billing. Most hospitals provide the basic meals daily including special diet for some patients. Hospitals may, however, be restricted to the type of foods they offer to patients because it is cooked in bulk. Home-based care programs gives patients the flexibility to access a variety of possibly cheaper food types with the same nutritional value because it is personalized.

4. Medication management

Managing multiple prescriptions for your loved ones may be confusing. Home health care professionals can ensure the right medications are being taken promptly to manage health conditions and prevent drug mismanagement. Home-based care nursing enables you to use your medication for a similar disease. Bringing your medicines from home proves to be a lot cheaper, but they have to be checked by the professionals to give the green light.

5. Overall cost

Home care rates are charged on an hourly basis, so there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to out-of-pocket expense. In the long run, home-based care is more pocket-friendly and convenient than hospital-based care for chronically ill TB patients, although costs to caregivers remain high concerning their incomes.

Conclusion

Home-based care nursing provides a unique opportunity for patients to exploit and save both time and money while receiving high quality, personalized healthcare services. It also offers a comfortable, and peaceful environment for the patient.