Late last year, Medicare announced its 10th annual round of penalties. This change reduced payments to 2,499 hospitals or 47% of all facilities. The reason – is excessive hospital patient readmissions. Studies show that nearly one-fifth of seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. They often return with health issues dramatically different from those that led to their initial hospital stay. Some people blame doctors for focusing only on one ailment and not evaluating the patient’s overall health; some blame a lack of cleanliness in hospitals, and others fault insurance companies for rushing seniors out of the hospital to keep claims payments down. Yet, mounting evidence suggests that Post-Hospital Care for Seniors is just as important as the care they received while in the hospital.
Providing healthful post-hospital care for your loved one
When a senior arrives home from the hospital, it’s entirely possible they’re in a weakened state and more susceptible to post-hospital illness. They were exposed to many factors that negatively impact their health: sleep deprivation, schedule disruptions, a physical decline caused by bed rest, and medications that impair mental and physical functioning.
This weakened state, where a senior has a fuzzy feeling of post-hospitalization malaise, has been likened to the feeling that otherwise healthy adults sometimes get after the annual change to Daylight Savings Time or when experiencing jet lag after a long flight.
Here are five tips to help keep your loved one safe and healthy after a hospitalization:
Stay vigilant
Being aware that your loved one can develop more health complications after hospitalization can help you stay alert. Be on the lookout for potential health problems, even if they seem unrelated to your senior’s recent hospitalization.
Rebuild their reserves
upon their return home, make sure your loved one gets plenty of food, rest, and relaxation. If possible, incorporate some easy physical activity into their routine to help them recover from their forced bed rest, even if it’s just a walk down the hallway or up and down the stairs a couple of times.
Ease them back into activities
When your senior arrives home, they may not be aware of the effect hospital had on them, mentally or physically. They probably feel weaker and maybe slightly disoriented. Seniors may also forget their ability to perform familiar tasks, such as driving. Help them get back into their routine gradually.
Reestablish their daily routine
Being in the hospital has undoubtedly disrupted their daily routine at home, which can negatively impact anyone, especially a senior. If their hospital stay was long enough, they might have even established a new routine. When helping them make the switch back to living at home, gradually help them return to their regular routine.
Keep them away from sick people
A senior’s immune system gets weakened from hospitalization which often leads to issues in combating the common cold. Keep your loved one away from small children and large crowds until they regain their strength.
Home care from Assisting Hands Home Care serving Boston Northwest can reduce the risk of readmission for your loved one by providing healthful post-hospital care. We can help with personal grooming and cleanliness, healthy meal preparations, grocery shopping, and errands, light housekeeping, companionship, and much more, giving your loved one a chance to rest and recover at home. If you are seeking care for yourself or a loved one living in Bedford, Winchester, Concord Massachusetts, or throughout the Northwest Boston area, contact us today.
Call us at (781) 797-3299 to arrange for one of our compassionate caregivers to help your loved one stay healthy in the place they most want to be – the comfort of their own home.
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