"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/
Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition. Handbook of Home Health Care, Fifth Edition has been completely revised and updated to provide up-to-date, specific, authoritative guidance for the successful administration and management of home health care agencies. An excellent, comprehensive text, this Handbook addresses detailed legal and legislative issues, case management processes, and state-of-the-art technology.
Twenty-nine practitioners combine their expertise to bring clarity to an issue that is at the forefront of discussion-home health care. The field is emerging and is growing faster than most professionals and their patients can keep up with. Here is a text in which the authors make every effort to provide readers with the latest thinking and technology that can better the home health care field. Spiralling costs have forced all aspects of illnesses to be closely scrutinized for possible home care applications and financial savings. The industry is growing rapidly, fueled by increasing service and constant technological breakthroughs, but the overriding philosophy must be focused on cost containment with maintenance of high quality care. This book is directed at providing highly practical, up-to-date information that health care professionals can use in their daily practices.
In the United States, health care devices, technologies, and practices are rapidly moving into the home. The factors driving this migration include the costs of health care, the growing numbers of older adults, the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and diseases and improved survival rates for people with those conditions and diseases, and a wide range of technological innovations. The health care that results varies considerably in its safety, effectiveness, and efficiency, as well as in its quality and cost. Health Care Comes Home reviews the state of current knowledge and practice about many aspects of health care in residential settings and explores the short- and long-term effects of emerging trends and technologies. By evaluating existing systems, the book identifies design problems and imbalances between technological system demands and the capabilities of users. Health Care Comes Home recommends critical steps to improve health care in the home. The book's recommendations cover the regulation of health care technologies, proper training and preparation for people who provide in-home care, and how existing housing can be modified and new accessible housing can be better designed for residential health care. The book also identifies knowledge gaps in the field and how these can be addressed through research and development initiatives. Health Care Comes Home lays the foundation for the integration of human health factors with the design and implementation of home health care devices, technologies, and practices. The book describes ways in which the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and federal housing agencies can collaborate to improve the quality of health care at home. It is also a valuable resource for residential health care providers and caregivers.
Home health care is an important aspect of community health and a growing area of healthcare services. Clinical Case Studies in Home Health Care uses a case-based approach to provide home healthcare professionals, educators, and students with a useful tool for thoughtful, holistic care. The book begins with a thorough and accessible introduction to the principles of home health care, including a discussion of supporting theoretical frameworks and information on managing complexities, transitioning patients to home care, and preparation for the home visit. Subsequent sections are comprised entirely of case studies organized by body system. Though cases are diverse in content, each is presented in a consistent manner, incorporating relevant data about the patient and caregivers and the approach to patient care and promoting a logical approach to patient presentation. Cases also include helpful tips about reimbursement practices, cultural competence, community resources, and rehabilitation needs.
Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.
