2019 TRENDS IN POST SURGICAL CARE IMPACTING BOOMERS AND SENIORS
Our local healthcare system is overwhelmed by the growing number of Boomers and Seniors 65 years and older in Palm Beach County. National studies show that in another few years our aging population will not be able to get the care they need and deserve at a reasonable cost. Over the last few years, clinicians and physicians have begun to realize the benefits of private duty home health care in the successful transition from hospital to home, and the subsequent decline in readmission rates – the challenge is now for healthcare partners to shift the focus of care from post-acute facilities to the home, and advocate for the better patient care and outcomes it brings.
Private duty home health agencies with a specialty in post-surgical care, dementia care, or expertise in caring for Parkinson’s or COPD patients, etc., can deliver affordable, value-based care at home, most often preferred by patients and their families over the facilities to which they are usually discharged. Studies have shown patients often recover faster both physically and psychologically at home. Studies have also shown that memory and cognitive impairment adversely affect recovery rates in rehabilitation facilities. Private duty home care picks up where Medicare skilled care leaves off – specifically at the Activities of Daily Living. It provides much more value as it is for the services, time and duration that the client specifies and is tailored to their specific needs.
Many patients are not in need of intensive care, skilled nursing or long-term physical therapy. It has been shown that patients back at home receiving periodic visits from a professional private caregiver such as an HHA or CNA recover more independently and are able to get back to self-care more quickly than those automatically funneled into facilities.
At home, a private home health agency caregiver can educate and encourage patients to incorporate technology and remote monitoring into their recovery which is of great benefit to clinicians who believe in the benefit of telemedicine. Explanation of post-surgical protocols, medication reminders, and meal preparation for special diets, are provided along with services that include hygiene, fall prevention, transportation to therapy and follow up physician visits.
Sound like a recipe for success? It is, and it has been shown to significantly cut down on recovery time and readmissions.
Communication is also a key to recovery. Well trained caregivers can provide important feedback to clinicians and family members alike through notations of medical incidents, drug interactions or side effects, and 
measurement of positive outcomes. A private duty home health agency can also provide training to family caregivers where necessary, so that recovery can continue when a level of professional services are no longer needed.
In the years ahead, look for the private duty Home Health Agency to become a more prominent player in the care delivery landscape. Although Visiting Angels Agency’s professionals do not provide skilled care they do facilitate recovery at home. Seniors need support and socialization in addition to skilled care, and motivation to recuperate when the therapist or nurse is not there. Family members are often unable to step in when necessary due to geographical or time constraints, and cannot always monitor whether their loved is following doctor’s orders, taking their meds, getting enough to eat or drink, or safely getting out of bed.
If you loved one would benefit from a caregiver or companion post-surgery or hospital stay, contact us as soon as possible before their hospital procedure, or as soon as you realize discharge is imminent! We can arrange for an appropriate care plan that is affordable and suited to your schedule.
Till next time!
Irv Seldin, JD., Owner and CEO of Visiting Angels of the Palm Beaches
*Article not intended as medical advice.