Dr. Tanju Yılmazer, Medical Director of the Home Health Unit at Private Izmir Gazi Hospital and Family Medicine Specialist, gave information about "home visits," which are an important part of the home health service system they implement as the Home Care Unit and Gazi Hospital.
What kind of home care and home visit application do you have?
We, as the Gazi Hospital Home Health Unit, aim to protect and develop the quality of life, functionality, and health of our patients at the highest level. For this, we offer a holistic, wide, and comprehensive health service to our patients in their own homes. If necessary, we use the facilities of Gazi Hospital and specialist consultation support. Within the scope of the home health application, we also implement "home visits" for patients. A home visit is scheduled visit aimed at seeing and evaluating patients in their own environment for the purposes of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and management of chronic diseases.
What is the scope of home visits?
A home visit consists of examination, testing, treatment, and rehabilitation services provided to individuals in need of healthcare in their home and family environments, including social and psychological counseling services. With the help of a home visit, it is possible to obtain some patient information such as the patient's mobility status, ability to perform daily life activities, social supports, nutrition, medication compliance, and home and environmental safety. With the evaluation made at home, unmet health needs can be identified and medical care can be improved. Through home visits, health problems not previously detected, especially in the elderly, are identified, adherence to treatment improves, and the healthcare provider-patient relationship is established more strongly.
What is the place of home visits in the follow-up of elderly patients?
The elderly population is increasing worldwide. The aging period is a time when many chronic health problems and disabilities emerge. At the same time, due to the increase in the number of home-bound individuals, patients and their families prefer home care and visits to their homes.
What contributions do home visits have to the lives of elderly patients?
Especially for elderly patients, evaluating the functionality of the patient and the caregiver and the home environment to prevent accidents and injuries is made possible through home visits. Studies have shown that with the help of home visits, the development of dependency in daily life activities in the elderly is prevented. Research has shown that in some diseases, home evaluation is more valuable in preventing deterioration and re-hospitalization.
How is our health system's implementation regarding home visits?
When evaluated scientifically, there is no curriculum related to the subject of home visits in pre- and post-graduation medical education in our country. Although, as an application, units connected to hospitals or family physicians perform home visits for some selected patients during intensive work tempo, these are small in number.
Stating that the Home Health Unit of Private Izmir Gazi Hospital has gained experience in home health and home visit applications since the date of its establishment, Dr. Tanju Yılmazer said, "At the same time, we increase the effectiveness of home care visits by using telephone and telemedicine technology effectively.""