Home healthcare can be defined as medical services provided at home to treat a chronic health condition or help a patient recover from illness, injury, or surgery. Home healthcare affords the patient skilled care at home and provides wider convenience for clients and their families.
The burden of diseases in Cameroon is gradually shifting to non-communicable diseases. The rise in urbanisation and growing transition to a western lifestyle by Cameroonians reduced physical activity, and tobacco use further compounds the already increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in Cameroon.

The bulk of healthcare expenditures is spent on hospital care and physician services. Hospitals are overcrowded, and the nation is currently facing an acute shortage of staff per the population it has to attend to. In a report from the World Health Organisation, Cameroon faces an acute shortage of health personnel and this is further complicated by the geographic distributional inequalities of the national health workforce. There’s a need for more centered care for patients and especially persons suffering from chronic conditions as well as a system that mitigates cost. Unnecessary visits to hospitals have the tendency of increasing healthcare costs as well as being time-consuming, Home healthcare has the potential to reduce both of these costs and provide the patient with the quality care they need and deserve.

Home health care can be assistive in the effective management of NCDs and help the patient deal with the chronic diseases and their symptoms better. The role of home health care nurses is increasingly important as patients are discharged from hospitals and rehabilitation centers early in the course of illness and require more sophisticated nursing management at home.
Here are some chronic health conditions that can be managed in home health care:

1) Cardiovascular diseases

Home healthcare is a source of vital information for disease management, provides guidance on exercises, and stress management helps in connecting the patient to a wide variety of specialists, provide nutritional guidance and planning, manages medication and also introduces new technology on how to better manage your disease.
Through coaching from the carer, patients can develop the skills and confidence needed to participate fully in their disease management.

2) Diabetes

In 2010, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimated Cameroon’s prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 20 to 79 years at 4.4%. Prevalent undiagnosed diabetes is also very high – about 80%.
Living with diabetes requires constant vigilance to monitor and adjust blood sugar and intervene at the first sign of problems. Home health care can help you or your loved one recover from complications like slow-healing wounds, infections and amputations. Instructions on healthy diets and the importance of exercise can also be provided by the caregiver. Home health care can also help the patient to improve on self-management of their condition.

3) Stroke

Coordinated nursing and specialty therapy services can help people who have suffered a stroke recover functionality and regain as much independence as possible. Physical, occupational and speech therapy can help you regain the ability to do everyday tasks and communicate wants and needs with loved ones.

4) COPD or other respiratory conditions

If you suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or other respiratory diseases, you know the condition can have a major impact on daily life. Home healthcare can help you reduce symptoms and better manage your condition. With the aid of the home health caregiver, the patient can better recognize symptoms at home and know what steps to take; be better educated about medications and where necessary the carer can help administer them; the patient can be educated about breathing exercises for COPD; Home health care can help deliver oxygen and instruct the patient on how to use the equipment as well as help with doctor’s appointment.

5) Cancer

Whether a person is being treated for cancer or recovering from it, home health care might be an option depending on the type of care needed. from assisting with daily activities and housekeeping to ensuring support during nausea, anemia, pain, infection, and other complications, home healthcare mitigates stress and makes clients as comfortable as possible. Home health care can also help to get certain experts to deliver care to your home. Home healthcare takes into account the emotional and psychological aspects of the disease, which may be helpful, especially for elders who present with comorbid diseases.

6) Alzheimer’s disease/ Dementia

Home healthcare can be great for people suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Whether at an early stage or at a complicated stage of the disease, home healthcare can provide support with: keeping appointments, assistance with remembering to take medications, encouraging participation in activities, making favourite meals, playing favourite music, and other actions that will provide sensory stimulation.

7) Comorbid chronic diseases

Comorbid is the co-occurrence of more than one disease. If you or a loved one is dealing with multiple chronic conditions, you’re likely taking numerous medications and seeing several specialists. It may be difficult trying to manage all the symptoms, medications, and side effects. Home healthcare helps: manage medications; monitor early warning signs; teach you and your caregiver how to manage your health; improve your quality of life; connect you with community resources and home care aides to help with daily needs.

8) After a joint replacement or surgery

Research has shown that utilizing home health services after a total knee or other joint replacement can greatly improve your ability to perform your daily activities. The home health caregiver can assist with medication management, and wound management as well as work with your orthopedic surgeon to ensure a safe and quick recovery. With limited mobility after surgery, home health care can play an important role in getting you or your loved one back on your feet.

9) Depression

Depression is common, especially among the elderly (although not openly discussed in our communities), and is associated with greater morbidity, injury-producing falls, increased risk of hospitalization, and medical costs. But growing older doesn’t have to mean living with depression. A multidisciplinary home health care approach may help overcome depression and anxiety. Nurses and therapists can provide skilled care and teach self-management for chronic conditions.

10) Falls and dizziness

Falls account for 95% of all hip fractures in the elderly. To help decrease the risk of a fall, in-home physical and occupational therapists can work to improve your strength, mobility, balance, and motor skills; address environmental risks in the home; make recommendations and provide guidance on exercise and nutrition; as well as provide techniques and equipment to make you safer in your home.

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Do you have some questions about home health care that you wish you had answers to? Well here are some frequently asked questions about home health care in Cameroon, you just may find the answers to your worries right here.

What is home health care?
Home health care is a wide range of health care services that can be given in your home for an illness or injury. It is health care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in the hospital or doctor’s office settings.

What services does home health care provide?
Home health care consists of medically necessary, skilled services prescribed by a physician for the treatment of an illness, injury, or medical condition. Services provided by home health care may include the following:
Nursing care; medication management; post-operative care; lab services; nutrition services; pain management, follow up of doctor’s appointments, psychiatric services; social work; Therapy (physical, occupational, speech); general patient care.

Is home health care effective?
Home health is very effective and has proven better at improving patient outcomes. A study published in The American Journal of Accountable Care shows that home healthcare is an immensely beneficial alternative to hospitalization for millions of beneficiaries.
Researchers compared outcomes between those who were admitted to the hospital following their visit to the Emergency room and those who instead received home healthcare. By examining patients admitted to the emergency room with a serious illness, the results showed the group of patients who were treated in a home-based setting were significantly less likely to be admitted or readmitted to the hospital. Similarly, the home health group had fewer visits to the emergency room as a whole than the patients who were immediately admitted to the hospital.

What are the benefits of home health care?
Home health care has many benefits for both the patient and their family. some of these benefits include:
Home health care reduces unnecessary hospital visits; can improve mental health; saves costs; home health care is a relief for family caregivers; it gives seniors the ability to age in their own home instead of relocating to an unfamiliar environment like the nursing home; it gives the patient more independence and empowerment; the patient can carry on with their daily activities; It is easier for friends and family to Visit.

Is home health care more expensive?
Not only is home healthcare more effective at improving patient outcomes, but it is also a cost-effective alternative to hospitalization. There are many reasons why home health care is a more cost-effective alternative to a hospital or nursing facility. These include:
Reduced need for rehospitalization; shorter treatment times; reduced need for expensive, unnecessary testing; reduced exposure to illnesses that can worsen an aging adults condition

Does using home health care mean I will no longer visit my doctor?
No, rather the home health care agency serves as a bridge between you and your doctor. While you are receiving services such as nursing care at home, your home healthcare team works with your doctor to coordinate your care.
Your home health providers see you on a more regular basis than your doctor does. These regular visits mean that your home care provider can discuss concerns you might have or issues that arise with your doctor in real-time. As a result, your recovery can proceed faster and smoother than it might without home health care.

How do I know if my loved one needs home health care?
Here are some signs that your loved one may need home health care:
They are unable to perform essential daily functions; changes in personal hygiene; excessive weight gain or loss; mobility is a problem; poor nutrition; withdrawal and isolation; skipped medication.

Is Home health care Home care?

People often confuse home care with home health care.
While both of these concepts have the goal to keep patients safe and comfortable in their homes, the two are quite different.
Home care is help with daily activities to allow people to stay safe at home. Home care services usually include Bathing, toileting, dressing and grooming, house cleaning and other chores, transportation, meal preparation, companionship, and medication reminders. Home health care on the other hand provides clinical or skilled care by licensed nurses and therapists.

Who are those who deliver home health care?
Many different people make up the home healthcare workforce, including professionals (e.g nurses, physical therapists, physicians) and direct care workers (e.g., home health aides, personal care aides).

Can children receive home health care?
Yes, children can receive home health services based on a wide variety of needs and conditions.

What kind of diseases can be treated in home health care?

Home health care can treat a wide variety of conditions and illnesses including but not limited to: Alzheimer’s Disease; Chronic kidney disease; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); Diabetes; Heart disease; Recovery from illness or surgery; Chronic conditions or injuries.

What is unique about Klarah home health care?
With the rise in technology in health, we are able to provide unrivaled medical services using state-of-the-art technological facilities which meet up to the client’s every need in the comfort of their home. Our presence all over the national territory further qualifies us to meet the need of everyone whenever and where ever they are. Currently, we boast over 500 registered nurses present in our network which helps to avoid the overcrowded and overburdened situation of health care one may face in hospital settings.

How can I get Klarah home health care?
If you feel you or your loved one may need home healthcare, then you have made a good decision by choosing Klarah. To subscribe to our services, visit our website, www.klarah.com and you are going to be guided through a simple registration procedure.