Ready-Set-Go Home with Transitional Care Services

Visiting Angels Crystal Lake is known for its diverse specialties, and one of those is transitional care for seniors throughout the region. When an older loved one is getting ready to leave the hospital after a night or more, be sure you have appropriate services lined up to ensure their safety – both during and after their return home.

Why Do Seniors in Crystal Lake Need Transitional Care?

Transitional care may be lesser known than some home services, but it is no less important, as seniors who have been discharged from a hospital are particularly exposed to certain risk factors. As people age, they become susceptible to declines in strength and other bodily functions after even short periods of inactivity. This is one reason that readmissions are so common in this country among people over 65 within the first month of discharge.

How our tailored care benefits older patients returning home:

1. Preventing further injury
2. Helping to coordinate care with families
3. Keeping an eye on older, more vulnerable loved ones
4. Ensuring seniors may recover in a safe living space

Even attentive family members don’t usually know the best ways to protect their older relatives during this phase. A professional and compassionate caregiver who is familiar with the discharge process will work with you to ensure the necessary steps are taken in the home so the person can recover in a safe and comfortable environment.

How Is It Different Than Typical Home Care?

Studies show that as much as five percent of an older person’s muscle mass can be lost after just one night in the hospital, and prolonged stays can be especially precarious. A Visiting Angels caregiver can be with you, ready to assist your loved one with all their nonmedical needs, for as long as you wish.

What the services look like will depend on your specific situation. Activities of daily living may need added support for your mom or dad to manage common routines like getting dressed or preparing meals. We will coordinate with your care team during discharge and keep communication lines open with the family so you are kept in the loop.

How Our Ready Set Go Home Approach Helps You

Ready, Set, Go Home is a guide we developed based on research on post-discharge transitions, enabling our caregivers to ensure the transition back home is handled properly. Our team will work with your family to find out as much as we can about their loved one’s condition before they are released.

We will then tailor a care plan consisting of appropriate services that takes into account their specific situation. For example, someone with an arm in a sling might discover she can’t get dressed, prepare meals, or even take a shower without help. We want to step in and lay the groundwork before any unnecessary risks are taken. Customized support can include a range of services:

• Assessing the home environment prior to discharge and suggesting adjustments for safety
• Creating a care plan that accounts for chronic conditions like dementia, as well as the injury or illness that led to hospitalization
• Incorporating any new equipment, such as mobility devices, into our plan and making sure they are being used properly
• Having a professional caregiver nearby who can help with anything that may pose a risk of slips or falls
• Adjusting levels of care gradually as the person recovers
• Offering other individualized help based on your requests

Familiarize yourself with our “Ready, Set, Go Home” online discharge guide, which explains how we assist so that there are no surprises.

Looking for Top-Rated Senior Caregivers?

Our Visiting Angels location in Crystal Lake goes out of its way to find, vet, and train the best people to help older residents who have been hospitalized, as well as those going through a rehabilitation process. We make sure any caregiver working in this type of situation is familiar with all of the facets of transitional care, including:

1. The individual’s previous and current condition
2. Any medications they should be taking
3. And what other types of care they may be receiving, such as physical or occupational therapy

Just as important, we want you and your loved one to be completely comfortable with the caregiver in your home. We make sure whoever we send is reliable, trustworthy, and kind so that the interactions they have with the senior will be handled with warmth and empathy.

Visiting Angels Crystal Lake

Don’t wait until an aging parent or grandparent is out of the hospital before lining up the proper services. Reach out to us before they are discharged, and we will work with you to help you understand which of our services should be considered. Contact us any time using our online form and we will respond shortly.

Feel free to call 815-479-0312 as well to discuss your needs and find out more about our transitional care services in the Crystal Lake area.