What are Private Duty Nurses and What Can They Do for You?
If you are elderly or looking for care for a loved one, you’ve probably noticed many choices. While nursing homes or assisted living centers are popular, many elderly patients can benefit from having private-duty nurses help them in the comfort of their own homes. This article will discuss private duty nurses and what they can do for you or a loved one.
What is Private Duty Nursing
Private duty nursing provides comprehensive, long-term care in the patient’s home. This service is offered by skilled providers who are efficient in technology and medical equipment. These private duty home health aides are either licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or registered nurses (RNs). It’s common for private duty nurses to provide service for a few hours or even up to 24 hours a day.
Who needs a private duty nurse?
Those who need flexible, one-on-one care at home are the ideal candidates for private-duty nursing. Whether a patient needs long-term or short-term care, any patients with complex medical conditions that most often require continuous supervision can greatly benefit from the assistance of a private duty home health aide.
Private duty nursing helps in many different situations
Private duty nursing aims to provide exceptional services to patients at home. Patients with many medical conditions can significantly benefit from private duty nursing, including ALS, rare diseases, congenital diseases, failure to thrive, birth injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple comorbidities, and much more.
What are the duties of a private duty nurse?
While working with the patient’s physician, a private duty nurse provides personalized care specifically tailored to a patient’s unique health needs and challenges. If you hire a private duty nurse for care in your home, here are a few duties you can expect them to perform.
Providing one-on-one medical care and attention
From the moment that a private duty nurse arrives at your home, they will be busy providing one-on-one care and attention to your medical needs. Instead of splitting the time and attention of a nurse with other patients in a healthcare setting, you’ll benefit from the awareness and attentiveness of your own personal nurse, trained to provide precisely what you need.
Monitoring vital signs and patient condition
Part of a routine private-duty nursing care service is monitoring vital signs and the patient’s condition. Because vital signs are critical in detecting and monitoring medical problems, nurses will take vitals regularly to help determine how the patient is doing. Nurses will also take note of the patient’s overall condition and provide additional services as needed.
Administering medications and treatments as prescribed
One of the most common services provided by private duty nurses is the administration of medications and treatments based on each patient’s diagnosis. Depending on the patient’s overall needs, injections can be administered along with pills and other types of medications that allow the patient to heal and be comforted in their home. The patient’s physician must prescribe all medication and necessary treatment before the nurse begins administering it.
Assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, and eating
It’s common for patients to need assistance with daily living activities, commonly known as ADLs. Private duty home health nursing care can be modified to include assistance with living services around the house if needed. This type of assistance is particularly beneficial for those who want to remain more independent and live in the comfort of their home.
Active Home Health Offers Private Duty Services in Utah
Whether you’re experiencing a severe medical condition or could simply use a little extra help with your daily activities, let the private duty home health aides at Active Home Health, Hospice & Personal Care give you the assistance you need. We’ve got private duty home health aides throughout Utah, ready to provide assistance for you or your loved ones. Our thorough program provides the missing piece of the puzzle your loved one needs to thrive again. For experienced and trustworthy care you can rely on, count on Active.
