The Importance of Transitional Care for Seniors Returning Home from the Hospital

Non-medical home health care services can help your loved one get back into their daily routine at home while safely following their recovery care plan

When a loved one gets hospitalized, it is normal to worry that this is just the start of many health issues and readmission. You surely want your loved one to maintain their independence and age at home for as long as possible, which is why reducing the risk of readmission should be high on your list.

Not only are hospital stays expensive, but your parent could easily contract a serious illness during their hospitalization. In order to avoid pricey readmission, you should ensure that your loved one receives the level of care they need during their recovery. With non-medical home health care services from Visiting Angels you can be at ease knowing that your parent is in good hands.

Risk Factors for Readmission

According to various studies, many factors can increase the likelihood of readmission, such as socioeconomic status, chronic illness and mental disability. Among other factors are previous hospital admissions, widowhood, social isolation, lack of family support, medications, mental problems, lower socioeconomic status, cognitive disability, frequent falls as well as incontinence.

Even though this list is quite long, there are still some ways you can reduce the likelihood of readmission.

The Importance of Transitional Care

Although hospitals take a lot of steps to reduce readmission, once your parent is discharged, it is up to you and your loved one to determine what will happen. Figuring out what level of home health care your parent requires can be a problem.

Even though the doctors will provide you with a discharge plan, following it can be a challenge, especially if you cannot be there to keep an eye on your parent. This is when transitional care can be incredibly useful.

There are ways you can help your loved one avoid readmission. When your parent gets hospitalized, start asking about their discharge plans so you can be prepared when the time comes to take them home. Also, make sure that discharge instructions are straightforward and easy as possible, so your parent doesn’t get confused.

You should ensure that all the important follow-up appointments are scheduled as well. This will help give you an idea of when caregivers may be most helpful – especially if you need to get back to work and are unable to take your parent to all their follow-up appointments.

Keep in mind that your parent will need a lot of help, support and assistance to get back on their feet. Our home health providers can be there for your loved one whenever needed and help them recover in a safe and comfortable environment.

Ready-Set-Go Home

At Visiting Angels we have designed our Ready-Set-Go Home to reduce hospitalizations. Our caregivers will provide high-quality, non-medical transitional home health care, prevent readmission and keep your loved one healthy and at home.

Contact our office in Annapolis, MD to learn more about our transitional care program.