patients heal better
in a familiar setting
support in-home care
notes
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-24
Write a "home blank" poem.
Before my own health spiraled down the drain it had been swirling around for a while, I was a home health nurse. Prior to that, I was a nurse's aide for a cumulative of about 25 years, sometimes taking hiatuses to do other work such as bartending, waitressing, inventory service, or, in one instance, tech support.
I don't think I was very good at tech support. Also, a lot of the people I worked with were straight-up weirdos, and not in a good way. But that's a story for another time.
I know it isn't always possible, but home health care is nearly always preferable to an institutional setting. Hospitals are for acute issues. Once a patient is stabilized, they will almost always do better in a familiar environment.
I realize this is an oversimplification because there are issues that need to be addressed in order to assure that everyone has a suitable home environment. Sending someone back to a slum where they have no heat or water is not going to be a good thing. Nobody should have to live like that. Housing and utilities should not be considered luxuries.
When I was doing my nursing clinicals, one of my patients was in the hospital for a severely infected toe. He was there for a week while the infection was treated so he wouldn't lose his foot. Upon discharge, he was given a voucher for a week stay at a motel. Guess where he was going after that? Back out on the street.
Home health care needs to be prioritized. It isn't a luxury, and it isn't fair to expect families to shoulder the burden of caring for sick family members without professional assistance. Home health care also allows nurses and aides to establish a personal relationship with patients living with chronic conditions. Allowing patients to receive care at home where possible is preferable.
~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~
BY: credit must be given to the creator.
NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.