Although some residents of Flintridge and elsewhere may only need a visit from a nurse a few times a week, others may have health conditions that require 24-hour care.

That’s part of the flexibility offered by Accredited Home Care, which offers a variety of care options for patients, from basic aides to long-term caregiving.

Sometimes a client may need around-the-clock care on a temporary arrangement, such as if someone is recovering from surgery or rehabilitation from a fall or injury that could impact their balance or make them unable to perform some tasks unassisted.

In other cases, someone’s around-the-clock care may be needed on a longer-term basis. The client may be independent enough to live at home but they may still need a small degree of help getting around. Similarly, they could probably be candidates for relocation to an assisted living community but they are still hoping to personally choose to remain at home as long as possible.

Either situation could be appealing if not interesting to nurses with varying skill levels and experience working with clients, including those who truly want to learn more and gain new knowledge.

Many Licensed Vocational Nurses, for instance, look forward to the opportunity to be able to provide care to a variety of clients in their own homes as opposed to a medical center campus or clinic.

While some students in accredited nursing programs are willing to continue their education for another year or more in order to satisfy the requirements for an RN.

Others take the opportunity to finish their school with an LVN which allows them to head out into the field and starting to work with clients.

Longer caregiving

Someone with LVN credentials might be an ideal person to work as a round-the-clock caregiver. They have enough knowledge to help patients with basic skills and needs. They also have learned how to observe and report whether a patient’s condition has improved, declined, or stayed the same over time. They could relay info to providers, fellow nurses if shifts are shared, or even family members who have requested regular updates.

Although 24-hour care could be an exercise in endurance if the patient is active, the experience can be satisfying for nurses and for patients.

• A better bond. People who are together for an extended period of time can become closer, especially if one is taking care of the other. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll become BFFs but some degree of friendship can be possible. A nurse might be able to learn more about his or her patient’s life and build up trust and comfort.
• Be a good go-between. A nurse can become familiar with the patient’s current condition and can be a good person to relay questions back and forth. A provider, therapist or another specialist may request status reports and insight, and family members might too. Having someone with appropriate medical training to answer questions and explain answers to can be useful. A nurse can even serve as an advocate for care if something is urgent, such as a need for a medical appointment or an emergency situation.
• Better reminders. Since a nurse is always available as a caregiver, he or she can make sure their patient takes correct medication and even eats properly throughout the day. They also can keep track of their schedule including alerting the patient that other caregivers like therapists are coming or if there are upcoming appointments.
• More emotional support. Although nurses are there primarily to offer physical support, someone staying there on a longer-term basis may have the opportunity to connect on different levels. The patient may have questions about life in general, their fears, concerns, and anxieties and may just want someone to listen to them and to get things off their chest. So a nurse is a good sounding board and warm listener.
• Better connection to family. If someone has family members nearby but unable to provide round-the-clock care, an LVN can get to know them too and vice versa. They can provide better insight into the patient as well that might be useful in establishing rapport and overall quality of care.
• Continuing training. Spending such a long time with a patient each day could be professionally rewarding as well. It can provide a nurse with some useful skills that can be handy for their career. Or, if they ever want to return to school for their RN credentials or any more advanced certifications they can also draw on this experience.

Getting started

If you are an LVN interested in 24-hour caregiving, it helps to talk to people who are already doing this, such as other LVNs, RNs or home health care professionals in your area. They can give you realistic information about what it takes and how different it can be than shift work.

In some cases, home health care might be more enjoyable than working with multiple patients at a hospital – you no longer have to split your energy and can focus on making sure one person is taken care of.