How different is Home Health from LTC??

HeyNurse09, BSN · Jan 11, 2013

Oh and I forgot to mention I am an LVN.

amoLucia · Jan 11, 2013

Hi, I've been a nurse for almost four years and have only worked in the LTC/Skilled Rehab setting and am currently wanting to work in Home Health. Is it very different from LTC/Skilled Rehab? What can I expect as far as pay and patient load?

Others more well versed in the specifics can better assist you. But having done HH very briefly, I can tell you my biggest observation --- you are 100%, absolutely, positively in their HOME. It is their HOME and you need to remember that.

Esp when you don't care for the fact that there is a smoker in the house. (COUGH, COUGH, HACK, HACK.) Or cockroaches and mice run around like family pets.

If it is personal choice, not a whole lot you can do. However, if a threat to pt's self, others or the environment exists, then you will need to pursue it accordingly.

It's a difficult thing to reconcile at times. Good luck.

somenurse · Jan 12, 2013

HH and LTC are night and day, imo.

I personally find LTC to be one of the hardest of all types of nursing, much harder for me, than ICU or ER ever was, but, i find HH to be one of the less stressful forms of nursing.

Pay can vary from one org to another.

Here are some pros and cons some of us listed about HH, from another thread, hope it helps:

https://allnurses.com/home-health-nursing/inquiring-about-hh-804694.html

paradiseboundRN · Jan 12, 2013

Others more well versed in the specifics can better assist you. But having done HH very briefly, I can tell you my biggest observation --- you are 100%, absolutely, positively in their HOME. It is their HOME and you need to remember that.
Esp when you don't care for the fact that there is a smoker in the house. (COUGH, COUGH, HACK, HACK.) Or cockroaches and mice run around like family pets.
If it is personal choice, not a whole lot you can do. However, if a threat to pt's self, others or the environment exists, then you will need to pursue it accordingly.
It's a difficult thing to reconcile at times. Good luck.

I was a field nurse in HH in Metro Detroit for 11 years. I can think of only a handful of times that the patients living conditions posed a problem for me. Yes, each patient has a different idea of cleanliness in their home but I found that most homes are about the same. This should not persuade anyone from getting into home health!

Here is the answer to your question. LVN's are used in home health to do re-visits. Especially, dressing changes, lab draws, foley change, etc. They cannot open or close a case. They work under the RN case manager. The process is like this: The RN/LVN are assigned a case. The RN opens the case and decides on the plan of care. For example, the patient needs a dressing change 2x/week for 4 weeks. The LVN sees the patient and follows the plan. Of course, if there are complications or changes, she reports them to the RN and the RN may have to make a visit. When the plan is complete and the patient is ready for discharge, the RN goes out and completes the last visit.

I don't know what the pay is. Your average case load with vary, but you'll probably see about 5-6 patients daily. You will have a lot less paperwork than the RN, usually just a simple visit note for each patient. If you work for a big agency, you will see adults of all age groups, not just seniors.

HeyNurse09, BSN · Jan 12, 2013

Thanks everyone for your input! :) I think I am going to go ahead and do Home Health because it interests me and now that I have a few years experience I'm going to give it a go!

somenurse · Jan 12, 2013

yeah, disastrously messy homes, are not something i encountered much, either. Cluttered homes, yeah, some of those, like oldsters whose homes are filled with knickknacks and stuff.........but filthy homes? can't recall very many of those, i think those are not a real common problem.

If you have pet allergies, well, some of the homes have pets, though.

catj · Jan 17, 2013

Hi I've been a nurse for almost four years and have only worked in the LTC/Skilled Rehab setting and am currently wanting to work in Home Health. Is it very different from LTC/Skilled Rehab? What can I expect as far as pay and patient load?[/quote']
It is very different , you have to know what your doing be able to think on you feet and come with a wide range of experience . It takes a large part of your life no 7-3:30 any more.

catj · Jan 17, 2013

Oh and I forgot to mention I am an LVN.

I'm an LPN it's better for us no OASIS , I have been an LPN for 31 years and the last 10 have been home care / hospice I Love it can't imagine doing anything else!