Getting Care After Hospitalization – And Avoiding Readmission
When it is time to come home from the hospital or stay at a rehabilitation center, there can be some fear and anxiety about keeping your loved one out of the facilities and back at home. Will you be able to take care of their needs? Will they be safe without someone there to look after them? Visiting Angels of San Luis Obispo can help with our Ready-Set-Go program designed just for elderly people who need help to stay at home safely after a visit to the hospital. Find out more at our website, or call (805) 546-2080 today and ask about Ready, Set, Go Home!
Why Is Thinking about Readmission Important
Recent changes in financial penalties for institutions with high readmission rates have intensified efforts to reduce rehospitalization. A study conducted with the National Institutes of Health found that the cost of readmissions to the healthcare system is substantial. Readmissions account for an estimated $17.4 billion in annual spending by Medicare alone. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, established in the Affordable Care Act, authorizes Medicare to reduce payments to hospitals with excess readmission rates.
Many older individuals endure a functional decline after being hospitalized. This can hinder their independence and make it difficult to accomplish tasks that are crucial to their health. Even the most basic activities can be a challenge for those who feel weak or exhausted after a hospital stay.
The Impact of Multiple Interventions
This change in abilities can significantly impair seniors' well-being and result in complications. With this in mind, it's not as surprising to hear that nearly one in five elderly adults on Medicare return to the hospital only 30 days after they are first discharged. The same study found that several interventions involving multiple components (patient needs assessment, medication review, patient education, timely outpatient appointments, and providing telephone follow-up) have successfully reduced readmission rates for patients discharged to home. Post-discharge interventions like a timely follow-up, timely communication with the primary care physician, follow-up telephone calls, patient hotline, and home visits and bridging interventions such as a transition coach, patient-centered discharge instructions, and provider continuity were found to improve outcomes for high-risk clients.
The effect of interventions on readmission rates is related to the number of components implemented. The most common categories of interventions were patient education, discharge planning, follow-up telephone call, patient-centered discharge instructions, and discharge coaches or nurses who interacted with the patient before and after discharge.
Ready-Set-Go Home
Visiting Angels also has concern for seniors who have recently been released from hospitals and other facilities. To this end, we have devised our signature Ready-Set-Go program, which is designed to help with all aspects of discharge and recovery at home. During the senior's hospitalization or rehabilitation, we will provide them with our Ready-Set-Go home discharge planning guide as an important resource they can turn to in the weeks and months ahead. We will also meet with family members to begin coordinating care for the seniors once they return home. Our caregivers offer much-needed support at the hospital and help seniors and their families stay on track for a smooth transition.
Returning Home with Visiting Angels
When they return home, seniors can count on our compassionate caregivers to help them maintain their well-being. Our Angels act as an extra pair of eyes and ears, diligently monitoring your loved one’s condition and notifying family members in case of significant changes. Caregivers can also assist with important tasks like bathing, grooming, cooking healthy meals, arranging transportation to follow-up appointments, and providing reminders about medication schedules.
Your loved one can increase their chances of avoiding a return to the hospital with the help of our professional transitional care providers. Call Visiting Angels of San Luis Obispo at (805) 546-2080 today for details.
