Be patient; healthcare at your doorstep

For those of us who have to care for a patient, home-based healthcare solution can be a good option.

A budding service, it gives a helping hand to those seeking post-operative or long-term care for a family member.

Providers of home healthcare services offer a wide range of services including medical, laboratory, and support services such as wheelchairs.

Better service These service providers offer some specific benefits compared to informal caregivers in your neighbourhood. As they are well-organised, staff of these professionally-run services, which operate in multiple cities, have access to better systems and support from their employers.

This can be in the form of procedures to follow and patient metrics to evaluate. The care-givers can send instantaneous updates on the patient’s status by using mobile technology.

Having a detailed patient record helps provide continuity in care, says Meena Ganesh, co-founder and CEO, Portea, a Bangalore-based home care company.

Some providers also maintain an online account of patient records that can be helpful in communicating with family members in a different town or abroad. Also, the staff are dependable. For instance, if your individual caregiver goes on an unplanned leave, you may be left on your own or search for a temporary alternative.

Or, if you need to get several tests done, co-ordinating with the different laboratories will be done by your provider.

There are also choices based on the level of service you require. For instance, with Portea, you can pay a doctor for every home visit, or sign up to administer injections over a period. You can take up a comprehensive plan for continuous care or customise a care plan where the service offered alters as your patient’s condition changes.

Cost factor The service, of course, comes at a stiff cost. Companies typically charge ₹15,000-18,000 per month while you may be able to engage private help for 30-50 per cent less.

Still it does help in some cases. If, say, your patient needs an extended stay in the hospital, going for home-based care can work out to be over 50 per cent cheaper, as you save on room rent; it can also be more convenient. For instance, if you need to take a post-operative patient to a physiotherapy centre, the hassles of arranging transportation and waiting each day at the facility can be avoided if the procedure happens at home.

And your patient may also be more comfortable being at home than in the hospital for a prolonged period.

Limitations Hospitals have their advantages; for instance, in handling emergencies. When you require the service of specialists or have multiple ailments, a hospital may be a more practical choice than staying at home.

Similarly, for critical procedures such as dialysis, you may be on your own. So check what support exists for your patient’s condition and what each costs before signing up.

Another limitation is that such services are available only in a few metros currently. India Home Health Care (IIHC) operates in Chennai and Bangalore. Portea has services in Delhi, Bangalore and smaller operations in cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

Since the idea is just taking root, providers have a smaller scale of operations, handling only a few hundred patients a month in these cities. It is essential that you do proper due-diligence as it may not be easy to find references or judge all the issues that may come up.

Know your provider When you evaluate a homecare provider, run a check on their credentials. Ascertain their staff numbers. And since quality of care is the single-most important factor, get to know their staff selection procedure as well. A company which has employees on their payroll, and so more stable, is more reliable than one that has employees on contract.

Next, check on how they evaluate their partners, such as those who offer laboratory services. If you are entering into an extended-period contract, take note of the penalties if you want to opt out pre-maturely.

Another important point you need to find out is the procedure to address any issues in the care you get. For example, it is not uncommon to have personality conflicts between the attendant and the patient or a family member, says Dr Anitha Arockiasamy, President, IIHC.

Concerns need to be resolved quickly; knowing whom to contact for solutions is important.

Ask what is required to ensure that your home is suitable for home-care. For instance, IIHC has a client co-ordinator to visit the home to evaluate the suitability and suggest modifications. In most cases, it requires simple changes such as adding night lighting or replacing beds.

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