Post Hospital Care Providers That Help With The Transition from Hospital to Home In Opelika, AL

Post-Hospital care is critical, let our team help your loved one recovery safely at home and reduce the chances of readmission in Opelika, Lafayette, Tallassee, and surrounding areas

The day your elderly loved one is due to make the transition from hospital to home will be a joyous occasion. It will also be the start of a lot of hard work for you. Give us a call at (334) 749-8461 to learn more!

You Are Not Alone  

One of the first things you need to realize is that while you may be the family caregivers, it doesn't mean you are on your own. You need to involve the whole family, your loved one's medical care team, and any post hospital care providers in helping your loved one recover successfully.

Readmission Fact You Should Be Aware Of:

• The cost of readmission to the U.S. healthcare system is over $17 billion not including those coming from urgent-care facilities and emergency rooms.
• One in five seniors will be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
• 25% of seniors who are discharged to nursing homes have a higher risk of readmission within 30 days.
• 75% of these readmissions can be prevented.

It's All Hard Work

From learning what needs to be done to ensure a successful transition from hospital to home for your loved one, to handling the physical aspects of their care, it's all hard work. The kind of work that is more challenging and takes more time than most family caregivers realize before they get started. This is a good reason to contact Comfort Keepers and let us provide your loved one with skilled caregivers trained to provide transitional care. They can help with the work and share their training with you.

Our Caregivers Have a Lot to Offer

Our post hospital care providers are capable of and willing to provide a full range of services intended to help make your loved one's transition from home to hospital go smoothly and take some of the workload from your shoulders. They come prepared to provide:

• Personal care services including bathing, grooming, mobility assistance, incontinence support, etc.).
• Homemaking services (decluttering, light house cleaning, laundry, dishes, meal planning & cooking, etc.).
• Transportation to appointments and taking care of numerous errands.
• Continuous monitoring of health and maintaining communication between the family, doctors, rehabilitation specialist, etc.
• Companionship and emotional support throughout their recovery journey.

Recovering at Home Has a High Incidence of Readmission

You might be doing your best to provide the right care when your loved one makes the transition from hospital to home. However, the risks of them being admitted are high, especially in the first 180 days. Thanks to today's medical care, the risks have declined, but are still too high.

Most common issues leading to readmission:

• Severity and Type of Medical Condition – covering those who are in the late stages of a medical condition or suffering from a chronic condition such as heart disease or Alzheimer's.
• Medications – concerning the taking of new medication that causes adverse side effects and those who do not take their medication as instructed, resulting in adverse side effects.
• Limited Access to Appropriate Post Hospital Care – covering those with limited transportation to their appointments, picking up needed medications, and have the daily support they need.
• Secondary Diagnoses – covering those patients who develop a medical condition or display severe symptoms not seen during their hospitalization.
• Lack of Education by Medical Team – covers those who did not receive the proper transition home care education by the patient's medical care team before they come home.

Keep Careful Records

When your loved one makes the transition from hospital to home, be sure you obtain a copy of the medical records generated during their stay. These records will contain information about the care and medications received while in the hospital along with transitional care instructions you may need.

Ask Questions – Learn More

While you are still at the hospital is the perfect time to ask lots of questions about providing transition care. Ask questions about everything you can think of, it's the only way to learn.

Develop Home Medical Records

Work with our post hospital care providers to create a set of medical records or charts you can use at home to record things like:

• Contact information, including caregivers and emergency contacts.
• A record of all medications, when they need to be taken and the correct dosage.
• A schedule that includes all family caregivers, when they will be there and what they need to do.
• A list of appointments, what was discussed and what, if anything was done.

The more detailed you make the entries the better the records will be should you need to talk to your loved one's medical care team.

A Happy, Healthy, and Safe Home

Before your loved one can make the transition from hospital to home, there are a few things around the house you need to take care of. These include:

• Be sure the house is clean and disinfected eliminating allergens and bacteria.
• Be sure furniture is arranged to make room for any mobility equipment.
• Place items that are used daily within easy reach.
• Install any needed safety equipment.
• Introduce your loved one to their transitional home care provider before they are discharged.
• Create a care plan schedule that lets your loved one know who will be with them and when.

Contact Us Today To Learn More!

If you need help providing the care your loved one needs after they make the transition from hospital to home, contact Comfort Keepers of Opelika, AL. Call (334) 749-8461 to schedule a free consultation with Comfort Keepers. During your consultation, a senior advisor will help create a transition care plan and match you with one of our post hospital care providers.