Advantages and disadvantages of home care for care givers

6^th World Nursing and Healthcare Conference

August 15-17, 2016 London, UK

Ebru Ozturk Copur

Hacettepe University, Turkey

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

In the recent past, long-term care expenditures have been practically synonymous with expenditures for nursing home care, but policymakers are now expressing greater interest in home-based long-term care. Home care is an integration of versalite applications that cover hospital services that prevent problems likely to occur while conducting the daily living activities as well as patient care, rehabilitation and personal care. Home care services have negative and positive effects for caregivers, patients and their families. The focus of this article is on the advantages and disadvantages of home care for care givers. Firstly, taking care at home may have positive implications for patients and their families, but it may also be burdensome to the caregivers with implications for their health and well-being. Patients who are taking care at home are generally elderly and have chronic illnesses so the care givers do not see the improvement in health status easily and in short time. Secondly, going to the patients home and giving care at their homes have some security problems especially if the patient has mental/psychological illness. Thirdly, if there is no positive relationship and communication between the care givers and patient and his family, the treatment and care will be affected negatively. There can be some cultural problems between the health professionals and patients because of different backgrounds. Sometimes, the care giver feels disqualified depends on lack of equipment. Also the care givers feel stressful while leaving the patient�s home by thinking how to handle a patient in an emergency case? In addition, there are some environmental risks about medical contamination. Along with these negative effects, home care services also have positive effects for care givers. Giving care at home is less stressful than working at hospital, because in hospital there are a lot of patients to be attended and their families who are stressed, angry and sad. Also, the patients in hospital change in short time so the care givers meet a lot of patients and they cannot build strong relationship. In addition health professionals use their autonomy at home more than at hospital. Care givers make health educations easily at home because patients are not under stress and they have enough time. Additionally, improving health status and making health promotion activities are easier than at hospital. Health professionals can evaluate the other risk factors at home and can give holistic care. Finally, there will be no hospital infection risks at home. To sum up, home care services have advantages and disadvantages for care givers. It depends on the home environment, relationship between patient and care givers and the existence of equipment.

Biography :

Ebru Ozturk Copur is pursuing his Doctorate degree in Community Health Nursing and also working as Research Assistant at Hacettepe University. He completed his Master’s degree in 2013 from Hacettepe University.

Email: nrsebru@hotmail.com