7 Reasons to Consider Private Duty Care

Are you looking for a solution for your loved one which requires additional care? Let’s face it. Most of us don’t want to see our loved ones in a nursing home or long-term care facility. In some cases, private duty care might be an ideal option. Let’s take a closer look at what it is and why you might consider personal duty care for your loved one. 

What Is Private Duty Care? 

Private duty care is a form of medical assistance that allows your family member to age or recover from an illness or injury from the comfort of their own home. You might be wondering how this is any different from home care. 

Although private duty care is similar to home care, private duty agencies provide a more comprehensive range of services. Rather than a home health aide or home aide, your family member will be assigned an actual, registered nurse (RN) or critical care nurse. That means your loved one will be able to receive more extensive care with a private duty care nurse than they would from a home health aide. 

Here are seven reasons to consider private duty care. 

1. Personal Care Needs Will Be Met

One of the main benefits of hiring a private duty nurse is your loved one’s care needs will be met. Every patient has different needs, but some of the tasks private duty nurses can assist with include helping them get dressed, bathe and go to the restroom. 

Additional adjustments can often be made for your family member’s care needs. For example, if your loved one gets sick, a private duty care nurse will generally help clean the mess and ensure that the patient’s needs are met. The nurses are also certified in advanced cardiac life support so if your loved one is suffering from a certain heart condition, the nurses will be ready to provide assistance if need should arise.  

2. Your Loved One Will Get to Stay home

There’s no better reason to choose private duty nursing care than keeping your loved one at home. Your family member will age or recover from their illness/injury and still enjoy the comforts of their own home. 

There are numerous advantages of this. For starters, they won’t have to resent you about being placed into a nursing home or experiencing the loneliness or depression that can come with life in long-term care facilities. 

Your family member will also get to enjoy the comforts of their living quarters, and they’ll get to stay home with family. 

There are also a number of risks associated with nursing homes, ranging from bed wounds and improper nutrition to elderly abuse and neglect. 

Allowing your loved one to stay home can be a win-win for everyone involved. 

3. Your Family Member Will Get Medication Reminders

The majority of older adults use medications. Unfortunately, as their minds begin to fade away due to early-stage Alzheimer’s and dementia, they often forget to take them on time or at all. A private duty care nurse can help make sure your loved one will remember to take their meds and may also administer medications, including those that require injections or an IV.  

4. Post-surgical and Injury Care Needs Can Be Met

Has anyone had aging loved one recently fallen and broken a hip? Or maybe they’ve undergone another challenging surgery. If your family member is recovering from surgery, it might feel like a lot of work to attend to their needs. 

Private duty care nurses are qualified to attend to wound care and administer pain relievers or other medications required during the healing process. You will also get the peace of mind of knowing that someone will be there for your loved one during this difficult time. 

5. Your Loved One Will Receive Around the Clock Supervision 

Our aging or injured family members require something most of us cannot provide: around-the-clock monitoring and supervision. Your private duty care nurse will be there to monitor their vitals, prevent them from falling, and attend to all of their other needs during the entirety of their shift. 

Some people might choose to have a private duty care nurse with their loved ones 24/7, while others might only opt to have them there during nighttime or daytime hours. Whatever the arrangement is, you can feel assured that your family member will be in good hands.  

6. It Allows Patients to Maintain Their Independence 

Another one of the main benefits of private duty care is that it allows your sick or aging loved one to maintain their independence for as long as possible. Many aging patients require some additional medical care, such as medication reminders or help bathing, but can still get around on their own for the most part. The longer an elderly person can maintain their independence, the better their quality of life.  

7. The Nurse Will Work With the Patient’s Medical Team

Private duty care nurses can work with the patient’s medical team to develop a best-suited plan for the patient’s needs. They will be in touch with the doctor regarding their medical conditions, medications or other treatments, and any wounds or dressings they may need to tend to. That can help reduce the burden on your family and give you further peace of mind to know your family member is being well cared for.  

Who Pays for Private Duty Care? 

One of the concerns you may have about private duty care is how to cover the cost. Unfortunately, Medicare generally won’t obscure the expense of private duty care in most situations. Therefore, it’s up to the patient or their family to cover the cost of private duty care. 

Although this may sound expensive, private duty care can be more affordable than a nursing home. The cost will vary according to how many hours the private duty nurse is required and how extensive the patient’s care needs are. 

Private duty care can be an ideal solution, whether you have a sick, injured, or aging loved one. It allows them to avoid a nursing home or long-term care facility and instead enjoy the comforts of home.