The social impact of an illness or injury upon a person is something which can be hard to quantify. In the past, this injury may have resulted in the patient suffering a lowered quality of life as they had to stay in a hospital or specialized treatment facility as they recovered. Fortunately for us all, the thinking in the medical community has come to accept the benefits of patients staying home when it is feasible. Not only is it better for the patient, it helps keep costs down. Advances in the field of Nursing and quality home medical supplies have even made the treatment of complex problems at home possible.
Many people are familiar with the situation where an elderly relative refused to leave their home for a nursing facility. At one time in our society's history, the elderly relative's wishes would have been possible because extended families - especially in agricultural communities - were much more common. However, after World War II and the rise of the nuclear family, these extended families became much less common and the older generations were, to an extent, left to live on their own. This arrangement does have its benefits but, unfortunately, readily at-home medical care was not one of them. It eventually became somewhat commonplace for families to put their elderly generations in to nursing care facilities when they could no longer live at home or when injuries or illnesses prevented them from taking care of themselves.
While their medical treatment was met, the quality of life of a patient could be overlooked in institutional settings. Often, patients have to share rooms with people with whom they have nothing in common. The noise level can keep people up. There is a reason people say the hospital is a terrible place to go if you are sick - it is harder to sleep because of the noise and there is the possibility of exposure to a variety of germs. While the level of care is appropriate, what often kept people in institutions for treatment was the availability of the appropriate equipment and supplies for the treatment of their condition.
Over time, the benefits of an improved quality of life for a patient who stays at home have become more widely recognized. While it is often necessary for a patient to stay in a hospital-like setting, it is often best for the patient to go home to recover. Patients know this and doctors know this. Fortunately, it has become much easier for patients to get the appropriate home medical supplies. At-home nursing care is becoming much more common as well so patients can take back many important aspects of their lives as they recover.
The importance of medical equipment being used in the home can be most acutely seen in at-home hospice care. At this stage in one's life, quality of life is the most important factor. By having appropriate care and the correct supplies, patients can now interact with their friends and families as they prepare their passing. Such a time could be diminished in a more traditional - that is hospital or nursing home - setting where the patient may not be able to pay attention to the things they should be focusing on.
In time, advances in home medical supplies will allow for the treatment and recovery from a wider variety of illnesses and injuries. These advances will benefit society and the patient alike as fewer beds will be taken up in institutions and the patients get to interact with others in their own environments. While we may be moving further away from the days of extended families caring for their sick, we are again moving closer to a time where the sick can again recover in the comfort of their own homes.
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