Home care v s outpatient

Question:: Which is better home care or outpatient voice therapy?

Answer: There are several factors to consider. First, it would depend on the therapist you have and their experience and success in working with stroke victims, so you would want to research this if you were trying to decide between the two. In general, outpatient therapy has the added benefit of stroke patients getting away from home and interacting with the outside world. Also, outpatient therapists have more accountability usually because co-workers and bosses are present to monitor their work habits. Since home health therapists often set their own schedules, there can be more last-minute changes or rescheduling of visits due to personal reasons, and sometimes the quality of care can be lacking if the therapist is cutting treatments short or doesn't have the tools that an OP clinic may have. Again, it really depends on the therapist and the quality of the business providing the therapy.

Due to mobility and transportation issues, home health may be the best solution for some patients. I think the biggest factors to consider are 1)Does the patient need to get out of the house more and are they able? 2)What is the experience of the therapist in OP vs home health with stroke patients and are they reliable? 3)Will there be consistent care with 1 or 2 therapists, or will the patient be passed around between multiple therapists?

One last factor to consider is the well being of the caregiver. If the caregiver is struggling and burned out, home health may be a better option if getting ready and transporting the patient is too stressful. On the other hand, OP therapy might be best as the caregiver could run errands and take a break away while the patient is receiving therapy.

The final answer: It depends on the patient and quality of therapy services!

Treatment Tips from Others 

To see tips from other survivors and caregivers about their treatment recommendations, click here.