Questions to Ask at Discharge to Help Prevent Hospital Readmission
Hospital readmission can be a serious issue for an elderly adult. While returning to the hospital within thirty days of discharge can be necessary in some situations due to negative reactions to the treatments or medications that they received while they were in the hospital the first time or so that they can receive further attention, experts estimate that as much as 75 percent of these readmissions are preventable.
Homecare Chester PA – Questions to Ask at Discharge to Help Prevent Hospital Readmission
Helping your parent avoid being readmitted into the hospital helps to reduce the chances that they will contract an illness or infection, experience a fall or other injury, or develop delirium. One way that you can do this is to make sure that you are asking the right questions at discharge.
Some questions to ask at discharge to help prevent hospital readmissions include:
- What types of treatments or management approaches were used while your parent was in the hospital and how might they impact your parent?
- What symptoms might your parent continue to experience after they return home? What is considered normal and can be managed at home? What types of warning signs should you look out for that would necessitate a return to the hospital?
- What if any prescriptions has the doctor given to your parent and why did they give them those?
- What types of side effects might the prescriptions cause and how can you help your parent to manage those side effects?
- What type of follow-up care if any is necessary to help your parent manage and recover from this particular issue?
Being a family caregiver for an aging adult can be extremely challenging and stressful. This can be especially true if you are a member of the sandwich generation caring for both your children and your parents, if you live at a distance from your parent and are not able to be with them as frequently as you would like to be, or you have your own challenges in limitations that keep you from giving them the care that they need on a consistent basis.
If you are dealing with these challenges, now may be the ideal time for you to start homecare for your parents. A homecare provider can step in to provide care when you are not able to, handle specific care tasks that you are uncomfortable with or not able to handle effectively, give your parent more companionship, or simply to encourage a more active and fulfilling life as they age in place. This is not only extremely beneficial for your parent, but can ease your stress and help you to devote your time, energy, effort, and resources in the best way possible.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Chester PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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