{"id":4170,"date":"2021-09-06T08:00:45","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T12:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/?p=4170"},"modified":"2023-10-25T12:40:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T16:40:24","slug":"thriving-at-home-series-home-is-where-the-heart-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/bostonnw\/massachusetts\/blog\/thriving-at-home-series-home-is-where-the-heart-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Thriving at Home Series &#8211; Home is Where the Heart Is"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>For the average American aged 65+, the adage \u201cthere\u2019s no place like home\u201d certainly rings true. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/retirement\/planning-for-retirement\/info-2018\/retirees-age-in-place-aarp-study.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent survey<\/a> conducted by the AARP, 77% of all older adults want to continue living right where they are for as long as possible. In general, seniors that age in place are happier and healthier than those who don\u2019t. The remainder of this article will explore why more and more seniors are embracing the concept of \u201chome is where the heart is\u201d, along with examples of healthcare providers that are addressing those needs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>The Benefits of Receiving Care at Home<\/h2>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/16970642\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hospital-at-home care was associated with greater satisfaction than acute hospital inpatient care for both patients and their families.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to feeling more satisfied, other benefits of receiving care at home versus a hospital setting include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Familiarity\/comfort with one\u2019s surroundings<\/li>\n<li>Reduced isolation<\/li>\n<li>Lower costs<\/li>\n<li>Increased sense of independence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because any change in setting can be highly disruptive, home is even more important to those living with Alzheimer\u2019s or Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong>The term \u201chome\u201d may also include assisted living facilities or retirement communities. In other words, home refers to familiar surroundings where older individuals can be with their loved ones instead of recovering in an intrusive and sterile setting with other patients.<\/p>\n<h3>Introducing Hospital at Home\u00ae<\/h3>\n<p>Developed by Johns Hopkins Hospital, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnshopkinssolutions.com\/solution\/hospital-at-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hospital at Home\u00ae<\/a> (HaH) is an innovative care model that delivers hospital-level care in a patient\u2019s home as opposed to an acute care hospital. HaH has already been implemented at numerous sites across the US through VA hospitals, health systems, home care providers, and managed care programs.<\/p>\n<p>As a means to cost-effectively treat acutely ill older adults, HaH is intended to improve patient safety, quality, and satisfaction. Compared to similar patients receiving care in an acute hospital setting, HaH participants have exhibited:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Better clinical outcomes including lower rates of mortality<\/li>\n<li>Better satisfaction of patient and family<\/li>\n<li>Less <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpguide.org\/articles\/stress\/caregiver-stress-and-burnout.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">caregiver stress<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Better functional outcomes<\/li>\n<li>Fewer lab and diagnostic tests<\/li>\n<li>Lower average length of stay<\/li>\n<li>Cost savings of 19% to 30%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Another Example of Care Shifting<\/h3>\n<p>Up until a few years ago, roughly 70% of Cleveland-based University Hospitals\u2019 (UH) revenue was derived from inpatient hospital stays, while the remaining 30% came from home care or outpatient ambulatory settings. Today, those percentages are nearly reversed.<\/p>\n<p>One of the main reasons for this turnaround is technological improvements that enable quality care at home that\u2019s equivalent to that received in an acute care hospital. Other benefits include reduced medical costs for the patient and lower rates of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hai\/infectiontypes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">healthcare-associated infections<\/a> (HAIs). Along with these financial and clinical benefits, UH investigators have discovered that many patients now simply <em>prefer<\/em> to receive care in the comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n<h3>How You Can Help<\/h3>\n<p>Although being hospitalized could cause your aging loved one to experience psychological, emotional, medical, and financial stress, there are times when it\u2019s the best option. If they are experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath, abdominal cramps, or chest pain, it\u2019s best to promptly take them to the emergency room.<\/p>\n<p>In non-emergency situations when home care is indicated, there are certain steps you can take to make it a more pleasant and stress-free experience. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/falls\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">falls<\/a> cause countless seniors to be hospitalized every year. Chronic conditions like COPD, diabetes or heart disease can not only contribute to falling they can also lead to unexpected trips to the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>As an informal caregiver, learn about ways to prevent falls in the home. If your senior has a chronic health condition, help them manage their disease through medication compliance, diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n<h3>Learn to Thrive<\/h3>\n<p>Are you looking for guidance to provide care for a loved one? Do you know someone going into the hospital or coming home from one soon? Do you have a family member with a chronic condition? <a href=\"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/thriving-at-home\/\"><strong>Let us help you navigate all of this, and more.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Get useful information for family caregivers on how to keep home as safe as possible, specific actions you can take to manage aspects of your health at home, common reasons why older adults use the emergency room, and how to reduce those incidents. Get your personal copy of <a href=\"https:\/\/thrivingathomehealth.com\/order-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thriving at Home \u2013 A Handbook for Preventing Hospital Stays<\/a> today!<\/p>\n<h2>Quality In-Home Care for Today\u2019s Independent Seniors<\/h2>\n<p>Helping an independent loved one thrive at home isn\u2019t easy when you can\u2019t always be there. When you need some assistance, <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/contact-us\/\">contact Assisting Hands Home Care<\/a>. While proudly serving seniors and families in <a href=\"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/communities\/\">communities Northwest of Boston<\/a>, Assisting Hands provides professional <a href=\"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/services\/\">in-home health services<\/a> that allow our clients to remain safely and comfortably in their own homes.<\/p>\n<p>From a few hours a day to around the clock, our client-centered services include respite care, personal care, hospice care, Alzheimer\u2019s and dementia care, Parkinson\u2019s support, and Veteran\u2019s support. At Assisting Hands, we deliver quality home care you can trust! To <a href=\"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/about\/\">learn more<\/a> now about our dependable caregivers, or to schedule a consultation for a senior in our service area, please visit us at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.assistinghands.com.\">www.assistinghands.com.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"Assisting Hands Presents:  How to Prevent Hospitalization for Your Senior Loved One.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qy-UgzTUZY8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This series will take an in-depth look at some of the topics discussed in the book: Thriving at Home: A Handbook for Preventing Hospital Stays. Learn how to keep your home as safe as possible and how to reduce health risks, both of which are key drivers for hospital admissions. You, your loved ones, and those in your continuum of care community can prevent hospital visits and stays with specific actions to take at home that will contribute to a healthier and happier life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":225,"featured_media":4172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[239],"tags":[223,242,241,243,240],"class_list":["post-4170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thriving-at-home","tag-aging-in-place","tag-fall-prevention","tag-home-is-where-the-heart-is","tag-hospitalization","tag-thriving-at-home","post_format-post-format-video"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4170"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4820,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4170\/revisions\/4820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}