Nurse or caregiver: which do you need?
A caregiver helps with everyday living. A registered nurse is licensed to do clinical work. Many parents need mostly caregiving, with a nurse overseeing their health.
You are more likely to need a nurse involved if your parent has:
- A wound that needs dressing, including after surgery
- Injections, drips or a urinary catheter
- Several medicines that need close monitoring, such as for diabetes
- Just come home from hospital after a stroke, surgery or a serious illness
Your parent's doctor is the right person to say what level of care they need. Ask them directly.
How to check a nurse is licensed
Every registered nurse in Nigeria must hold a current licence from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Before any nurse cares for your parent:
- Ask to see their NMCN licence, not a photocopy of an old one
- Check the name matches their ID
- Check the expiry date
- Ask where they have worked and call that employer
Nurse visits or a live-in nurse?
Most families do not need a nurse in the house all day. A common arrangement is a caregiver for daily help, with a nurse who visits regularly, reviews how your parent is doing and is on call if something changes.
A live-in or full-time nurse makes more sense when your parent needs clinical care several times a day or through the night. Ask their doctor before committing, because full-time nursing is a large monthly cost.
Questions to ask before you hire
- What exactly will the nurse do on each visit?
- How will you record what was done, and can the family see it?
- Who covers when the nurse is off or unwell?
- What happens in an emergency at night?
- Will the nurse work with my parent's own doctor?
How Home Care Nigeria works
Every family we care for has a named registered nurse whose licence we have verified. The nurse sets up the care plan with your parent's doctor's advice, supervises the caregivers, reviews and signs every visit report, and is the person who calls you when something needs attention. Families who need more clinical care can choose our Post-Hospital Care plan, which includes a weekly nurse visit.
Common questions
Can a caregiver give injections?
In our service, no. Caregivers only prompt or give medicines prescribed by your parent's doctor as written in the care plan. Clinical tasks such as injections are for a registered nurse.
