Transitional Care: How Home Health Care Providers Help Seniors Recover After Hospitalization
Making sure your loved one has the support they need at home can make all the difference in the success of their recovery
When a senior is admitted to the hospital, it is only natural for family members to worry and feel overwhelmed. Unfortunately, concerns for the senior’s well-being do not stop even when they are discharged from a hospital.
The recovery process following hospitalization is a delicate one, as older adults are at a higher risk of developing health complications and returning to the hospital yet another time. The good news is that hospital readmission can be prevented with the help of home health care providers delivering transitional care.
Risks of Hospital Readmission
Aging adults are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital following a discharge than others due to a variety of factors. Experts state that readmission rates for seniors range from 11% to 23% within the first month of discharge.
While these numbers are alarming, The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reports that up to 75% of these re-admissions are entirely preventable.
In order to prevent readmission, it is important to know the most common risk factors that increase the risk of returning to a hospital. These include:
- Staying at a hospital for longer periods of time
- Losing one’s spouse or partner
- Being socially isolated and lonely
- Having little to no support from family members
- Living in an assisted living facility or nursing home
- Managing multiple prescription medications
- Having mental health issues like depression or anxiety
- Living with chronic conditions like diabetes
- Having incontinence problems
- Being deemed a fall risk or having experienced falls in the past
Knowing these risk factors can help you prepare better for your loved one’s return and determine the level of care they need, that is, whether they can manage just with your help or could benefit from the support of professional home health care providers.
Why Transitional Care is Important to Recovery
As it name suggests, transitional care helps seniors transition from one place to another, that is, from a hospital to their home.
In order to best help your senior loved one, it is important to plan for their recovery at home in advance. To begin with, you should talk to their medical team about discharge plans and instructions.
When you know where you stand with the complexity of their recovery, you can start planning for actual post-hospital care.
In some cases, family members can help loved ones get back on their feet, but most of the time, seniors require more assistance than family and friends can provide. Not to mention that family members, no matter how much they wish to help, often lack the necessary training and skills needed to help an older adult recover after an illness, injury or medical procedure.
Ready-Set-Go Home
Your loved one’s post-hospital recovery plan may be difficult for them to manage on their own. Even with your help, it is probably a good idea to plan on hiring professional help to ensure your loved ones safe recovery.
Visiting Angels offers a transitional care program called ‘Ready-Set-Go Home’ that aims to assist with the entire recovery care process – from discharge to full independence.
This top-quality program is provided by experienced home health care providers that coordinate the discharge process and help seniors restore their health and independence once they return home.
With the help of our home health care providers, your loved one can safely recover at home, easily follow doctor’s instructions, and prevent additional health problems or hospital readmission.
Give us a call today to learn more!