More and more Nurse Practitioners are providing home care for elderly or other patients with limited care access. Over time this type of care has shifted from physicians to NPs. As the population ages there is an increased need to care and NPs are now in a position to fill that role at the convenience of the patient.
Hospitals are even involving themselves in home care by sending out their NPs to local residences like the ones near Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York.
The benefit of home care is understanding and analyzing the home environment of the patient and make corrections to better ensure that their sustainability and recovery are done in an environment that is indicative of a situation where health is at the forefront and proper care can be implemented in the most direct way.
NPs are the proper agents for this type of care because of their predisposition for warmth and understanding towards their patients. By being in the patients home an NP can custom tailor their treatment to fit the exact needs and surroundings that the patient lives in and thus engineer the perfect health care paradigm for the patient.
All of this allows anyone to receive the proper care they deserve even if they were in a situation where they normally would not be able to reside in a hospital or long term care facility.
There are still flaws in the system currently. While NPs can write prescriptions for patients they cannot sign home care certifications, as this must be done by a physician. Other problems exist in the communication between home care and hospitals in terms of Medicare reimbursement, but as time goes on and more home care is needed NPs are positive that the needed change will occur.
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Written by Brandon Kassof
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