Things You Need To Consider Post Hospital Discharge
When a senior is admitted to a hospital, it can be an intimidating experience for his/her family. Although the hospital staff takes care of patients during the process of treatment, they may still need extra attention and care to recover.
Further, they also need as much care post-discharge as during the treatment.
According to research published by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, adverse events frequently occur in the post-discharge period. Many of them could potentially have been prevented with simple strategies. People often make mistakes like missing medication intake, poor nutrition, dehydration and skipping medical appointments. Such mistakes can make past treatment ineffective and delay the recovery due to lack of care.
If your loved one or someone you know is at risk of readmission, here are things you need to consider:
Medical care
An elderly patient needs proper medication and physical therapy at home after discharge from the hospital. If the patient has wounds or fractures, they need appropriate medications and dressing for healing. Some patients require glucose and other medical treatments. A senior caregiver that can assist them with their regular medications and much more.
Personal care
Patients need personal care services after discharge from a hospital. Some patients need help with bathing and dressing while some also need bathroom assistance. If a patient is in the post-hospital recovery stage, make sure you provide proper personal care to them.
Nutrition
Every patient whether young or not needs proper nutrition after hospital discharge.
You need to ensure that they have proper meals. Try feeding them on time, offer medication assistance, and also watch that they don’t consume any foods that are harmful to their health.
Improper diet and nutrition can delay the recovery and healing process.
Physical therapy
Some patients need physical therapy after discharge for complete recovery. Professional caregivers can help patients with relevant treatments like massage therapy and exercises for rehabilitation. The patients with muscular issues and fractures usually need physical therapy for the restoration of mobility in the affected body parts.
Follow-up appointments
Patients need to visit the hospital for follow-up medical appointments and checkups. Physicians check the patient’s condition and prescribe medications for further recovery. Help the patient to visit for follow-up appointments, accompany them during the checkups and bring them back home.
Summing Up
Post-hospital care is essential for every patient to ensure the effectiveness of treatment and recovery from illness. Whether caused by an accident or disease, the human body takes time to heal.
With your help, a professional caregiver can help a discharged patient improve overall quality of life. Caregivers have years of experience in handling the types of medical emergencies that the families cannot handle or control.
Therefore, proper post-hospital care by senior caregivers can also help a patient heal from illnesses and restore mobility in the body. Senior care can make an older adult recover better so they can engage in their normal routine in daily life. However, make sure that caregivers have prior experience in senior healthcare services.