An overnight or extended stay in the hospital can be life changing for everyone. A trip to the hospital can feel even more frustrating for seniors, especially if they have been admitted more than once. Research shows that as many as 20 percent of seniors on Medicare are hospitalized again within 30 days of discharge, and that many readmissions occur just 7-14 days after leaving the hospital.

Visiting Angels has created a home care discharge guide resource, “Ready, Set, Go Home,” to help seniors and their families avoid these return trips to the hospital.

Ready, Set, Go Home is a transitional program and guide that provides non-medical support to seniors and their loved ones to adapt their home after hospitalization. The program aims to reduce the risk readmission by preventing events or mishaps that could make a return to the hospital more likely.

How Can Visiting Angels Help Reduce Hospital Readmissions?

In-home services that include the Ready, Set, Go Home guidelines and assistance may include the following:

• Dressing
• Personal grooming
• Bathing
• Toileting
• Mobility and transfers

Personal caregivers can offer a helping hand with other tasks, such as:

• Errands
• Meal preparation
• Light housekeeping
• Medication reminders
• Other routine activities

Visiting Angels’ professional caregivers also provide companionship and conversation to reduce the risk of loneliness and senior isolation. 

Perhaps most importantly, Visiting Angels can keep a watchful eye on your senior loved one during their recovery and report any concerns to their family so appropriate steps can be taken. Identifying problems allows you to seek immediate medical care and reduce the chances of readmission.

What Causes Hospital Readmission?

Hospitalization often causes functional decline. This can cause your loved one to feel overwhelmed and exhausted by routine and basic tasks around the house, especially if they have a chronic condition or are recovering from a severe health event, admission, illness, or surgery.

Additionally, medical experts have begun recognizing a condition referred to as “post-hospitalization syndrome,” which can occur several weeks after hospital discharge when your senior may be most vulnerable. Unfortunately, some patients may also experience an increased risk of death during this period.

According to experts, signs of post-hospitalization syndrome may include:

• Lingering fatigue
• Weakness
• Foggy thinking
• Bowel or bladder concerns
• Increased disorientation
• Disruptions to sleep patterns, diet, routines, and activity level
• Increased stress and anxiety
• Medication-related side effects

This syndrome can cause your loved one to be more likely to experience a fall, a relapse of their original condition, or another adverse event.

A Discharge Guide for a Successful Return Home from the Hospital

Visiting Angels created the Ready, Set, Go Home Discharge Guide to prepare you and your senior loved one to successfully transition home after a hospital or rehabilitation facility stay.

This guide can be used to record vital information you discuss with your healthcare provider(s), identify areas where assistance is needed, and determine who will be in charge of care at home, i.e., family, friends, neighbors, and/or Visiting Angels.

Post-Hospital Personal Home Care Plan

Professional caregivers from Visiting Angels are also available to visit your senior in the hospital or rehab facility and have a care plan ready and in place even prior to discharge to ensure you have peace of mind. With input from you and your healthcare team, Visiting Angels will customize home care to meet your loved one’s specific needs. Some of the areas you can find help with post-hospital care in Northern Idaho are: 

• Athol ID
• Priest River
• Coeur D Alene ID
• Fernan Lake Village ID
• Hauser ID
• Hayden ID
• Hayden Lake ID
• Post Falls ID
• North Idaho
• Sandpoint
• Harrison
• Moscow

Contact our office to learn more about the Ready, Set, Go Home program if your loved one requires senior care after a hospital stay. Request a free home care consultation from your local Visiting Angels' home care agency today.