Thriving at Home Series: Part 4 – Tips to Prevent Going Back to the Hospital

In addition to presenting health risks to patients, return trips to the hospital, or readmissions, contribute to skyrocketing medical costs in the U.S. health care system every year. To reduce readmissions within the first 30 days, several cost-saving measurements have now been put in place by providers.

For example, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is a Medicare-sponsored, value-based purchasing program that reduces Medicare payments to hospitals that demonstrate excess readmissions. As a patient or concerned family member, you can take steps to ensure quality care without having to go back to the hospital.

Top Reasons for Hospital Readmissions

According to a recent article posted at Rehab Select, there are five main reasons why patients get readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge:

• Patient disengagement and non-compliance
• Condition complications
• An inadequate transition of care
• Misinterpretation of discharge instructions
• Demographic factors

Sadly, many hospital readmissions are preventable if the parties involved would simply communicate more effectively.

The Role of In-Home Caregivers

According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the ability to relay important information to outpatient health care professionals is essential for preventing hospital readmissions. As progressive organizations seek ways to treat patients in various settings outside the hospital, a growing number of support institutions and services are now helping patients, and their families, make the transition from hospital to home a smoother one.

Home health care and home care providers can serve a vital role in the communication process as their teams routinely visit the patient at home, and their staff coordinates patient care among all the relevant health care providers.

Your Post-Discharge Patient Checklist

As a patient, you will receive detailed instructions from a staff member on caring for yourself prior to being discharged. So that you can follow those instructions carefully, it’s best to have a friend or family member present. Discharge instruction compliance is something that you and your immediate circle can easily control, while a failure to comply may result in you having to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.

This post-discharge patient checklist will help ensure that your recovery goes as planned:

• What is my medical condition, and how likely is it to progress?
• What treatments or procedures did I receive while in the hospital?
• Was I diagnosed with any new medical conditions?
• Do I need to limit my activities, and for how long?
• What signs should I watch for, including fever, reactions to medications, changes at the surgical site, etc.?
• Am I supposed to avoid any specific foods or beverages?
• Do I need to see any new doctors or health care providers?
• Do I need any new medical equipment?
• Am I taking any new medicines? If so, why and for how long?
• How will these medications interact with my existing prescriptions?
• What are the side effects of my medicines?
• Do any of the prescriptions need to be filled?
• What is my follow-up care plan, including tests or treatments?
• Do I need to make an appointment to follow up with my doctor(s)?

Other Transitional Care Considerations

It’s also important to ask the provider who is taking care of you to call your primary care doctor and update them on your hospital stay and discharge plan. If you were told to follow up with your primary care doctor, be sure to tell them all about your hospital visit.

You may need to contact a social worker or case manager about finding services in your community when loved ones aren’t available, as getting help during the critical transition period can significantly improve your outcome.

If you’d like to learn more about how to transition from hospital to home, read the book Thriving at Home: A Handbook for Preventing Hospital Stays by Dave Tasto. For more information about how to obtain a copy of Dave’s book, visit www.thrivingathomehealth.com.

Reliable Transitional Care for Seniors and Their Families

Helping an aging loved one recover at home after a hospital visit can be challenging. When you need some assistance, contact Assisting Hands Home Care. While proudly serving seniors and families in communities Northwest of Boston, Assisting Hands provides professional in-home health services that allow our clients to remain safely and comfortably in their own homes.

From a few hours a day to around the clock, our client-centered services include transitional care, respite care, personal care, hospice care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, Parkinson’s support, and Veteran’s support. At Assisting Hands, we deliver quality home care you can trust! To learn more about our dependable caregivers now or to schedule a consultation for a senior in our service area today, please visit us at Assisting Hands – Boston Northwest.