Homecare (also spelled as home care) is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.[1] Homecare is also known as domiciliary care, social care or in-home care.[2][3] It comprises a range of activities, especially paramedical aid by nurses and assistance in daily living for ill, disabled or elderly people.[4]
Clients receiving home health care may incur lower costs, receive equal to better care, and have increased satisfaction in contrast to other settings.[5]
Occasionally, palliative and end-of-life care can be provided through home health nursing.[5]
Home health nurses may assist patients with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, toileting, and feeding, or they direct and supervise the aide in providing ADL care.[6] Nurses keep track of vital signs, carry out physician orders, draw blood, document the tasks they perform and the patient's health status, and communicate between the patient, family, and physician.[6]
Some nurses travel to multiple homes per day and provide short visits to multiple patients, while others may stay with one patient for a certain amount of time per day.[6]