Key Ways that Home Care Reduces Hospital Readmissions

Although hospitals are typically known to be a place of healing and caring, our country finds itself in uncharted waters given the onset of COVID-19. Despite the best intentions and detailed protocols, hospitals have patients under their roofs with the highly contagious coronavirus. Other than avoiding transmission of the virus from family or friends, the next most important mission is averting a preventable hospitalization to limit potential exposure to the virus. Caregiver assisting senior woman in the kitchen

Certain unavoidable conditions may occur that could require a trip to the hospital, however; there are several proactive steps within our control that can lower the chances of a loved one’s hospitalization.

Medication Monitoring

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Adverse drug events cause approximately 1.3 million emergency department visits each year. About 350,000 patients each year need to be hospitalized for further treatment after emergency visits for adverse drug events.” Many seniors require multiple medications for optimal health. However, our loved one may have challenges properly self-administering or managing the medication. Here are a few examples:

difficulty acquiring the medication
low vision that makes reading labels or markings on the pills troublesome
fine motor incoordination causing difficulty manipulating the pills and containers
hearing impairment that may cause a loved one to misunderstand doctor’s orders
memory loss resulting in a senior forgetting to take their medications
swallowing challenges, especially with larger-sized pills

With proper oversight by a caregiver, your loved one can avoid medication mishaps resulting in a hospitalization.

Proper Hygiene

Proper hygiene is the first line of defense to prevent a urinary tract infection. Visiting Angels’ caregivers can provide thorough bathing and hygiene assistance completed with the utmost discretion, dignity, and respect of your loved one. Additional important hygiene regimens include comprehensive mouth and dental care and monitoring of skin integrity to prevent dry, cracked skin or wounds.

Fall Prevention

According to the National Council on Aging, “Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.” Prevention is the key and Visiting Angels takes fall prevention very seriously. As a result, we developed the Safe and Steady Fall Prevention Program. Our caregivers are specially trained to ensure your loved one’s safety as they mobilize around the home and community as a precaution to minimize falls. No falls means no trips to the hospital.

Adequate Hydration

Research conducted by the International Journal of Preventative Medicine summarized data on the occurrence of dehydration in the elderly as follows:

can cause cognitive and mental dysfunction (e.g., delirium)
increases the risk of thrombo-embolic complications, bladder infection, respiratory infection, kidney stones, fever, obstipation, low blood pressure, and medicinal intoxication
fatality rate from dehydration can rise as high as 50% (Konings, et al. 2015)

Drinking water is crucial. Something as simple as drinking enough water can be the difference between health and hospitalization. However, proper hydration remains a challenge among seniors. Visiting Angels provides services through the Personal Care Program to encourage and monitor hydration of your senior loved one to ultimately prevent hospitalization.

In summary, many circumstances that cause admissions to the hospital are avoidable. However, sometimes an extra pair of eyes and hands are necessary to ensure your senior has a safety net in place. Give Visiting Angels a call at 215-938-7202 or visit our website to learn how we can be that safety net for your senior loved one.