Keeping Your Aging Parent Safe After a Hospital Visit
For aging adults, a trip to the hospital has the potential to stretch on for several days, and medical procedures can bring a host of new caregiving responsibilities that persist even after the patient heads home.
The truth is, older adults need greater levels of care during a hospital stay, and this translates into greater care requirements after a discharge as well. Often, this involves professional care, as post-operative care and physical therapy both require trained professionals to carry out. It’s critical that family caregivers fully understand the requirements and challenges they’ll face as soon as possible, which can better equip them to organize necessary care.
Understanding Hospital Recommendations and Discharge Care
For instance, did you know that family caregivers are not required to accept the hospital’s recommendations for post-discharge care facilities, as long as they have a suitable replacement? Some tasks, like physical therapy, can be carried out at home or in a professional caregiving setting, as long as caregivers can specify these care providers in the discharge document. While this requires more effort on behalf of the caregiver to organize, it can provide a way to build a more flexible, appropriate care strategy after a loved one leaves the hospital.
Depending on your loved one’s needs, you may decide on a short-term residential care facility, or make other decisions based on their mobility and care needs. Whatever you choose, make sure that the caregiving responsibilities are within the scope you or the professional caregivers can provide. Missed medication and accidents can be cause for hospital readmission, which may make it more difficult to return home each time.
Loved ones may also require additional equipment, like oxygen tanks or wheelchairs. Knowing about these in advance can give you and your family time to prepare the home by removing hazards and making sure it’s a comfortable place to rest and recuperate. Finally, coordinate elements of post-discharge care, including observation, wound-dressing or other tasks with other family members, as well as professional caregivers.
Preparation is Key
Without a plan, caring for a loved one after a hospital discharge can be incredibly difficult. Not only are the care requirements amplified, but caregivers may worry about anything that can go wrong: impaired mobility leading to a fall, drug interactions causing serious health complications, even the possibility of their loved one’s health failing to improve. All of these are valid concerns, but they don’t have to come true.
Preparing for that discharge should begin as soon as your loved one is admitted to the hospital so that you and your family can put together everything your loved one needs before they’re cleared. This can prevent frantic searching for professional care or prevent the mistakes that may come from heightened anxiety and stress.
Knowing the specifics of your loved one’s post-discharge care, working with the doctors and nursing staff to get a clear picture of their health and knowing your options are all ways to ease the stress and anxiety of caring for a recently-hospitalized family member. The best way to prevent something from going wrong is to know what might happen and how to prevent it before it ever does.
By being prepared, you can be sure that your loved ones will receive the best care possible from you and the rest of their care team. Even better, they’ll feel well-taken care of if they see you’re in control of their situation. Overall, everyone involved can breathe a little easier when the trickier aspects of care are given consideration in advance.
Closing Thoughts
It’s important for caregivers to recognize that a hospitalization can frequently lead to increased care requirements that may last well beyond the hospital discharge, or change the way they have to approach care going forward. This can be a scary and difficult time for family caregivers, and those feelings are valid. But preparedness can provide stability and security to the caregiver and help them feel more confident in their own caregiving abilities and the health of their loved one.
When loved ones require more care, it may be appropriate to consider a long-term solution, such as professional in-home care services. If you find yourself struggling to maintain a balance between full-time caregiving and your other responsibilities, in-home care can provide the post-discharge attention your loved ones need when you’re at work, or otherwise dealing with the necessities of life. Above all, caregivers can make sure their loved ones receive the best care possible by being present when they can, and being prepared to make the right care choices after a hospital discharge.