How Can Home Care Services from Visiting Angels Denver Ease Hospital Transitions for Older Adults in Wheat Ridge, CO and Nearby Areas?
With home care services from Visiting Angels, seniors in Denver, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Arvada, Lakewood and surrounding cities in Colorado can get the care and support they need to safely return home from the hospital
Hospital stays can be challenging for older adults. Whether it’s an overnight visit or an extended stay, time away from the comforts of home can diminish a senior’s sense of normalcy and well-being. The last thing seniors want is to return to the hospital.
Unfortunately, roughly 20 percent of seniors on Medicare are readmitted within 30 days of a hospital discharge due to preventable factors such as:
- Medication issues
- Falls and accidents
- Missed medical appointments
- Disregarding diet recommendations
What Questions Should I Ask During My Loved One’s Discharge from the Hospital?
The hospital discharge process can happen quickly. You may have waited for hours to leave and suddenly you’re walking down the hospital corridor heading for your car with new prescriptions to fill and your uneasy loved one in a wheelchair. Get clear instructions before you leave to reduce the odds of hospital readmission.
Here are some questions you should consider asking when your loved one is being discharged in order to make their transition less stressful:
- What should I know about my loved one’s condition?
Request information about your loved one’s health from the hospital staff. Understand their diagnosis and what kind of care they received in the hospital. Learn which symptoms will require follow-up from a medical professional. - Are there medication changes?
Medication errors are the main cause of readmittance to the hospital. Ask for a list of prescribed medications. Make sure you understand the dosages and recommended times. Also, confirm which medications your loved one should no longer take. - Are follow-up appointments scheduled?
Get a list of your loved one’s upcoming medical appointments and mark them on your calendar. Follow-up appointments will ensure their recovery is on track and prevent a return trip to the hospital. If possible, attend these appointments with your loved one. - What additional support is needed?
Many seniors need non-medical support, such as help with mobility, personal hygiene or light housekeeping. Ask hospital staff what kind of home care services they recommend for your loved one. Also, find out what tasks they should be able to do on their own. Failure to do these tasks could be a sign of worsening health. If your loved one needs additional support with everyday tasks once they’ve returned home, consider in-home care from Visiting Angels Denver. - Request written, step-by-step discharge instructions.
Make sure to get clear, easy-to-understand documented instructions from the hospital. If you don’t understand the instructions, review them with the staff. Make copies so both you and your loved one have the same information.
How Can Home Care Services from Visiting Angels Denver Help My Loved One During In-Home Recovery?
Many family caregivers underestimate the support needed at home for seniors to continue recovering. Although, with proper support and planning, you can reduce the risk of re-hospitalization. For extra assistance, consider enrolling in the Ready-Set-Go Home program from Visiting Angels Denver, which helps seniors in the Denver area transition from hospital to home safely through personalized, one-on-one home care services.
Our home care services can help your loved one with:
- Hourly, weekly, weekend, holiday, overnight and 24-hour care
- Medication reminders and pharmacy pickups
- Monitoring and reporting changes in health condition
- Scheduling and attending medical appointments
- Grocery shopping and nutritious meal preparation
If you’d like to learn how home care services from Visiting Angels Denver can help your loved one return home from the hospital and comfortably recover, contact our Wheat Ridge, CO office at 303-990-8148.