alternative health care services and home care that the patient will receive after discharge

alternative health care services and home care that the patient will receive after discharge

Introduction

Stroke is a condition that causes damage to the brain cells due to blood supply interruption to the brain cells (Winstein et al., 2016). Surgery dislodges minor clots and prevents the occurrence of major stroke complications such as paralysis.  In this case, the patient suffers from a major stroke because of the paralysis that has already developed. It is essential for patients who have suffered a stroke to undergo rehabilitation for them to relearn the general life skills interrupted during the stroke. This paper discusses the alternative health care services and home care that the patient will receive after discharge.

Getting help at home

In the case where the father will be taken care of at home, the daughter will have to acquire assistance from group associations to help in advising, administration of medication. At some point, she will have to take off from the workplace. Therefore, during the discharge, ensure to teach the daughter concerning the rehabilitation approaches that include motor skill exercises, physical exercises, range of motion therapy, constraint-induced therapy, and mobility training. Motor skills can be difficult for the patient after the stroke, and therefore, it is crucial to have modified utensils, swallowing aids, and adapted dishes (Belagaje, 2017). Some of the assistive tools and devices include built-up utensils, scoop dishes, plate guards, and sparks as well as scoop dishes. In cases of difficulty in swallowing, ensure to have a home care agency to help in the evaluation of the patient to determine the presence of dysphagia. Therefore, the use of assistive products that will ease drinking and eating.

Movement and Position of the patient

Teach the daughter on how to assess the position and the activities of the client. The daughter should be able to assess body posture, cognitive, physical, and visual skills. Stroke paralyzes and the caregiver needs to ensure the presence of surface-to-surface transfers such as the wheelchair to help with the movement of the patient. The powered wheelchair is essential in ensuring no injuries occur while moving the patient (Teasell, Bayona & Bitensky, 2016). Whenever there is a transfer, ask the patient to assist with the transfer to increase the independence of the patient.

Communication disability

Majority of patients who have suffered a stroke have communication challenges and disabilities. The communication disabilities arise from the inability of the patient to move the mouth, tongue, or lips (Belagaje, 2017). Besides, the patient develops an inability to communicate following the inability of the brain to enhance language processing. In this case, the home caretaker should speak slowly and ensure to provide the patient with enough time to comprehend the information and respond to it. Use gestures such as smiles, touching in a caring way, and gently making eye contact with the patient. Also, speak to the patient using simple words and sentences and, more so, use questions whose answers are yes or no. Encourage visitation by family members and friends to help him listen and respond to the conversation of other people. When the situation is worst, use communication aids such as flip charts, calendars, communication boards, and maps. Consider the use of writer words depending on the understanding of the patient. Majority of the patients communicate well with written words.

Dietary management

Educate the daughter on the importance of dietary management, especially concerning the reduction of salt in food. Lowering salt helps in reducing the level of sodium in the body. Having excess sodium in the blood increases the blood pressure, which damages the blood vessels lining, therefore, promoting disorders that can lead to another stroke (Teasell, Bayona & Bitensky, 2016). Rather than having salt as a flavor, you can use a great variety of spices and focus more on vegetables and fruits.

Discharge to a Facility

In a situation where the daughter chooses discharge of the father to a health facility such as nursing homes or recovery offices, put in place the coherence of care that is much concerned with the current health condition. Choosing a health facility or rehabilitation center can be tiresome and confusing. Therefore, the health care provider should arrange for it long before the discharge occurs. It is essential to provide various options to the daughter with the type of services they offer and the cost of the services to make wise choices. Hiring a private geriatric care provider is necessary with pay per hour that can help in providing the support and guidance needed (Laver et al., 2018). It is essential to consider various considerations while choosing the health facility such as financial status, insurance coverage that is Medicaid and Medicare, the duration the father is anticipated to stay in the facility, the language used in the facility and whether the facility is socially suitable.

Conclusion

In this case, the daughter is a single person who goes to work, which restricts her ability to providing care to the father. Therefore, she will have to take the father to a home care office or procure someone to take care of him. Preparation for the care of the father’s discharge is necessary because the type of care needed might be complicated.  The health care provider should enlighten her on extraordinary care that the patient will require because apart from paralysis, the patient may have vision challenges, impaired memory, impaired speech, and difficulty in comprehending information.