Vancouver Home Health Care Agency

  • 8885 SW Canyon Rd. Suite 220 Portland, OR 97225-3455
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October 2016

Post Operative Care

25 Comments / Post Operative Care /

Post Operative Care What is Post Operative Care? This is care referring to the interaction with a wound and the healing involved after any type of surgical procedure. The process usually involves pain management and some form of wound care, in most cases. The specifics of the post operative care depend on the type of surgery performed on the patient. The care begins immediately after surgery in the hospital, often continuing at home. Many people need help at home for a few hours to days to weeks, which is why a home health care aid may step in and assist a patient. Possible Complications Surgeries might come with complications which do not show up until the post operative period. Some general complications are infection, blood clots, or issues with the surgical site. The patient must discuss these possibilities with the doctor and must keep a list of reasons to call the doctor post operation. A home health care aid trained in post operative care will help a patient understand complications and changes to the surgical site, and will know when it is time to call the doctor. Questions Before Leaving the Hospital Make sure to get all questions answered before leaving the hospital regarding post operative care. Some questions to start the conversation are: What medications will I need at home? Will I need supplies, such as new medical equipment? What will be my side effects? What activities must be avoided? When can I begin my normal routine? What paperwork is necessary to allow doctors to talk to my home health care professional? Post operative care at home is essential to healing and coming back to a normal lifestyle. Take all prescribed medications and keep all aftercare appointments to be sure the surgery was successful and healing is progressing smoothly. Keep the transition between hospital and home smooth by calling a professional in-home health care provider during your pre-operative scheduling, such as a professional from the Vancouver Home Health Care Agency. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

Leave a Comment / Therapy /

The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Occupational therapy and physical therapy look the same from the outside when they are actually very different forms of therapy for different reasons. While they do overlap in some areas, their end goals are different and the method of therapeutic help are also different. Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy focuses more on the evaluation and improvement of the functional abilities. The occupational therapist will generally not treat a person’s injury directly with manual therapy or acupuncture, as a physical therapist does. Rather, the OT assists in optimizing a person’s independence and ability to complete daily activities after injuries or physical impairment. The OT will treat injuries directly, however, the bigger picture in occupational therapy is on improvement of life skills and using the tools delivered by the therapist to live a better life. Patients work on improving the ability to complete daily tasks; OT’s are far more likely to perform on-site assessments to discover ways to best help the patient. Physical Therapy This type of therapy focuses more on diagnosing and evaluating dysfunctions in movement as well as directly treating the injury. The PT treats the physical issue, such as the bones, injured tissues, or other structures. PT’s will diagnose far more often than OT’s, and will work with the patient in rebuilding or healing structures rather than helping the patient complete daily tasks. The Overlap There is overlap between the two professions, such as in the main focus of PT and OT. Both professions will educate patients on how to best prevent or avoid future injuries, and will help patients understand the healing process. PT’s, through the nature of their work, help people increase the ability to complete their daily tasks, as an OT would. There are, in fact, a number of situations where both types of therapists are involved in a person’s care and healing. Vancouver Home Health Care Agency wants everyone to be educated on the differences in therapies. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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What Is PTSD?

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What Is PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, must be explained, as it is a growing disorder among many groups. While it is most common in veterans of war, anyone who experiences a high level of stress can be diagnose with this illness. It is defined as a psychiatric disorder which might occur following the witnessing or experience of life-threatening events, such as natural disasters, military combat, serious accidents, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or sexual or physical assault. Most survivors of these traumas will return to normal life with time. However, some never quite recover, and may even get worse. This is the beginning of PTSD. Sufferers experience nightmares, flashbacks, cannot sleep, feel estranged from others, and have symptoms so severe that daily life is impaired. Symptoms also last longer than normal and could last a lifetime. Symptoms There are three different kinds of symptoms associated with this illness. The first set is the set where the person consistently relives the trauma. Simply thinking about the incident will cause stress, fear, and a reliving of the incident. The second set is an avoidance of situations or places that remind the person of the incident. The third set involves feelings of irritability, being constantly on guard, and startling easier than others. Set One: Re-Experiencing Symptoms These symptoms mean the person is consistently reliving the event. People can relive the event in a number of different ways: memories, reminders such as a visual or audible recall events, or triggers found in every day life. This is called a flashback, and it is the most common of PTSD symptoms. Set Two: Avoidance and Numbing Symptoms These symptoms are the efforts people make when trying to avoid the trauma. Certain situations might be avoided, such as going near certain places, being around certain things, or watching certain things on TV. Numbing symptoms also aid in avoidance; this is what happens when the sufferer feels “numb”. The person is turning off emotions, hoping to avoid reliving the event or feeling the emotions associated with the event. Set Three: Arousal Symptoms Set three is often referred to as arousal symptoms, and this is when people feel alert and overaware after the event. This is called increased emotional arousal, and it causes difficulty sleeping, overreacting to harmless situations, anger, and constant feelings of being ‘on guard’ for danger. Many people deal with this heartbreaking illness, which often leads to substance abuse and depression. If you need help dealing with this illness for yourself or for a loved one, contact Vancouver Home Health Care Agency to find out how today. At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, Caring and Compassion is our business.

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