The past several years has taught us a lot about health and wellness. Collectively, and as individuals, we’ve learned the significance of preventative and protective measures, and how we can utilize our homes, not just as alternate places of work, but as safe refuges from risk and turmoil in the outer world. We have also come to appreciate the importance of caring for those who are most at risk. Our special needs children are one such vulnerable community, with the spotlight for their compassionate care being increasingly cast on flexible health management models. Mobile nursing services catering for children with physical, developmental, or medical impairments, are increasingly in demand. Here’s how they work to support our most resilient and precious of patients and their loved ones.
A mobile nursing care agency employs an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. It follows best practice models revealed in clinical nursing studies as involving close cooperation with pediatric specialists and other members of the child’s extended care team. First, there will be an initial assessment of the child’s needs as related to their condition, this will be used to determine the level of care provided. For example, a child recently released from hospital following an operation may require intensive assistance with wound care, medications and injections, or personal care, during their transition. In other instances, patient needs may be more focused on providing support with daily activities, or with getting them out into the community for social interaction or to attend appointments. Every patient’s path to recovery or assisted maintenance of their condition will be unique.
Another important function of an at home nursing care agency is to provide some respite for care-givers and family members. Actively supporting a child’s care in their home can have a positive mental, emotional, and physical impact on all persons in the household. It can help minimize disruption to the daily lives of family members, who may otherwise be consumed performing certain tasks. It can also empower a collective sense of control over the family routines and practices. For a sick child and their family, a sense of ‘normality’, is anything but boring.
It’s been long established by medical research that providing at home care as an alternative to hospitalization is usually safe, more cost-effective, and results in higher levels of patient satisfaction. Our recent experience negotiating a health crisis, has also taught us that every patient, regardless of their condition, would rather be at home than in a hospital. A recently identified nursing shortage in the area of pediatric care highlights the urgency of recruiting more experienced and dedicated professionals into the field. If you’re a nursing professional or healthcare clinician and passionate about enriching the lives of children with special needs, visit unitedlvnjobs.com to explore your future career options today.