In-Home Care: What happens to the injured?

My sister was fortunate to walk away from a serious auto accident that totaled her vehicle. While her bones and joints mend (three cracked ribs and a dislocated collar bone), my family and I are assisting. Since I’m currently unemployed, I’ve got the morning and day shift. That’s mainly getting her three kids to school and daycare then helping my sister get dressed for the day. I stay with her helping with chores, errands, and getting to doctor’s appointments until it’s almost time for my mom to arrive with the youngest. Mom make’s dinner. All three of the kids are sick but not enough to stay home which is good. My sis needs all the rest she can get. Members of her church have brought over a lot of food which has been a great help for my mom. She works full time, so when she comes over, there’s food ready to warm up.

As much as I’ve enjoyed having time to see my sister and her kids, I wish it was under better circumstances.

Assisting her got me thinking about what happens to people who are seriously injured, more so then her, who are a single parent or even living alone, and don’t have any family or community assistance? Are they just out of luck if they lose their job and don’t have the insurance to cover in-home assistance? Spouses may have to continue working and couldn’t be at home 24 hours a day for a month or more at a time.

When I was younger I had surgery on both of my ankles and couldn’t walk for three months. I relied on everyone to help me get around. Sure, I had a wheelchair but my families home was not accessible. When we have the full function of our bodies, we don’t think about wheelchairs being able to fit down a hallway or into a small sized bathroom with no handles. I slipped several times on wet concrete once I was on crutches. Let me tell you, falling and banging broken bones on a hard surface causes severe pain.

The point is, who will help people who are injured if no one is around to help. Do their laundry and errands?

What have been your experiences with accidental injury and in-home health? Please share those in the comments.

If anyone knows what types of coverage nations with national healthcare have for the injured, please share that in the comments as well.