elderly patients being discharged from hospital
The mental and physical exhaustion involved for seniors after a hospitalization can thereby increase the risk of developing health complications. For the average American, a hospital admission can be a stressful time for both the patient and caretaker, whether due to coronavirus (COVID-19) or something else. By gradually reintroducing these routines with recovery requirements, the caregiver can avoid medication mishaps, accidental malnutrition, and anxiety. Case studies highlighted that patients were being discharged before they were well enough to go home, without a home care plan and without informing their family … A SNF is ideal for a patient who is well enough to discharge from the hospital but cannot function independently or with help at home. If the patient is being discharged to a rehab facility or nursing home, effective transition planning should ensure continuity of care, clarify the current state of the patient ʼ s health and capabilities, review medications, and help you select the facility to which your loved one is to be released. Factsheet: Challenging Hospital Discharge Decisions. Healthy and familiar routines then become essential for successful senior care. Why? One of the best things to do for an elderly person is to reassure them that they will have help available such as getting to their medical treatments, picking their medications up, help with errands and help with whatever else they may need. Avoid the stress of post-hospital care for seniors with acute medical needs by seeking solace in DispatchHealth’s innovative services. This doesn’t necessarily require an in-home, 24/7 nurse, but it will require a certain level of patience and time from the caregiver in question. In a few hours, our team of medical professionals will be at your doorstep equipped with nearly all of the tools and technologies found in a traditional ER setting. Some helpful tips for helping an elderly person who is being discharged from the hospital are: When my grandmother was still alive, I can remember every time she was discharged from the hospital my mother would have to make special arrangements for whatever equipment she needed. A simple guide. Those include trouble breathing, new confusion, a persistent pain or pressure in the chest, the inability to wake up or stay awake, and bluish face or lips. Request your discharge rights from the hospital. For seniors, these stressors can be especially harmful during the recovery period after a hospital discharge. Since 1983, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform has been fighting for the rights of long term care residents in California. For an elderly patient, many of the standard medical issues with discharge are raised to a much higher level of concern, since the elderly person may have no one to help them after they have returned home. Fortunately, there is a new solution for these caregiving needs, and it starts with DispatchHealth. For seniors who have been recently released from the hospital, this continuum of care is ideal, as it caters to those with potentially compromised immune systems or who are restrained to the confines of their home. For an elderly patient being discharged from a hospital, proper discharge planning is very important and usually the hospital social service department can assist in helping the elderly person. Here are some ways you can help your elderly dependent get on the healthy road to recovery after hospitalization: After hospitalization, seniors can experience a compromised immune system. Is this patient being discharged in a better medical condition than that prior to admission or will they need continued care in order to completely heal, such as a rehab facility, installation of facilities like grab rails for toilets, or regular home health care visits? Copyright © 2016 THEMERUBY All Rights Reserved. This doesn’t necessarily require an in-home, 24/7 nurse, but it will require a certain level of patience and time from the caregiver in question.