In-Home Care Assistance For People With Hepatic Dysfunction

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Hepatic dysfunction may be temporary as a result of hepatitis or other infections and from medication side effects. Hepatic dysfunction refers to when your liver is not properly working. It can also be permanent when associated with cirrhosis and liver cancer. If you are unable to meet your health and household needs because of hepatic dysfunction, consider these ways in which special needs home care workers can help. 

Comfort Measures

Mild liver dysfunction may be asymptomatic, however, advanced hepatic dysfunction may cause severe symptoms. When your liver does not function properly, you may have elevated levels of bilirubin in your blood. This condition is called hyperbilirubinemia and it can cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin), nausea, weakness, and diarrhea. It can also cause severe itching of your skin as a result of high bilirubin concentrations in your blood.

The special needs home care worker can prepare nutritious meals for you that are gentle on your stomach and they can also perform skin care. They will help you with showering or bathing and make sure that your skin is well-moisturized to help prevent itching and irritation caused by high bilirubin levels and your liver condition. 

Symptom Surveillance

Special needs home care workers can also monitor your signs and symptoms so that your doctor can be notified. For example, if the whites of your eyes become yellow, it could indicate that your hepatic dysfunction is worsening. Lethargy may also mean that your liver disease is getting worse and it may also indicate the presence of liver failure. Vomiting, weight loss, and confusion will also warrant a call to your doctor.

If your caregiver determines that your health condition is rapidly deteriorating, they will take you to the hospital or call for an ambulance so that you can get the urgent care that you need. Symptom surveillance not only means monitoring patients for declines in their health status but also improvements.

If your caregiver sees that your jaundice is regressing or that your appetite is improving, they may contact your doctor because an improvement in your condition may mean that your medication dosages can be reduced or even discontinued. 

If you have hepatic dysfunction and cannot live by yourself because of it, contact a special needs at-home care agency for information about their services and staff. Once you have the pertinent information that you need, you can then schedule an in-person meeting with a prospective caregiver.

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6 January 2023

home care aids for more than just the elderly

In the past, when I thought about home health care, I pictured an elderly man or woman stuck in bed just waiting to take his or her final breath. What I have recently learned is that there are people of all ages that can benefit from home health care specialists. When my niece was diagnosed with a rare liver disorder, our family rallied and did everything possible to make the new way of life as easy for my sister as possible. We spent hours over at her house helping with the baby, but then, my sister said she didn't need us as much --She had hired a home care aid. I hope this helps you in the future.