Being ill enough to require hospital stay is an event no one desire. It is probably the most frightening experience that will ever happen. Unfortunately for older seniors it is an event that occurs far too often.
According to New England Journal of Medicine’s April 2009 edition, approximately 20 percent of recently hospitalized Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, 33 within 90 days, and 50% within on year. The reasons vary; however, the most common reason cited by Implementation Science November 2010 article is worsening of the prior condition. The article also included a study that shows that inadequate caregiver support was a factor that led to hospital readmissions. These findings suggest that many patients do not understand how to care for themselves after discharge and/or lack the family support during the recovery period. We have researched a number of ways you can prevent the need for hospital readmission. These tips will help you lead a healthier and more independent lifestyle.
One of the first issues that must be identified is many older patients do not want to be a burden on their family. Sometimes, seniors might ignore the issue until it progresses further. If the issue is pressed, family members may not believe that problems are serious; therefore, everyone just waits to see what will happen. Sometimes, the resulting exacerbated illness could have been treated earlier and should have not required a hospital stay.
Start now planning for possible falls. Falls are another major cause for hospital readmission. It is important to recognize changes in your walking. Are you dragging your feet more, stumbling over loose carpet, bumping into sofas and other furniture? Sometimes this requires reorganizing your home spaces to reduce the likelihood of a fall. You might even need to purchase a stylish cane as a precautionary measure.
Ask the right questions. Many times when we visit the hospital, doctors are always seem to be in a rush to get to the next patient. Many times, we as patients sense the doctor’s anticipation to move on. This perception sometimes makes us feel like a burden or that the questions might not be important, so we neglect to ask all of the question necessary. We tell ourselves that we’ll just try and figure it out on our own. What we must learn is that we are ultimately responsible for our own health and asking questions no matter how uneducated it might sound is necessary. You want to ensure that you have an actionable plan for self care. So, if possible you should have a list of questions written down in case you forget. If you can not write them, dictate them for a family member or another staff member can jot them down.You should ask if you are allowed to engage in some of the most functions of daily life such as bathing alone, dressing, cooking, doing housework or yard work, or what can you do to remember to take your medications on time?
Know your resources. Navigating the medical system outside of the hospital setting can be difficult. There are so many options. You enlist the help of a family member or a paid professional such as geriatric care manager who can help point you in the right direction. If you require home health services some of the things they should have include: clinical monitoring, patient education, personal care, social worker support, dietary counseling , intravenous therapy, medication and equipment coordination, wound care, financial and community resource referrals. Custodial services can help you with some of the more basic needs such as housekeeping, assistance with bathing and dressing or meal preparation. Lastly, begin to maintain a directory-a list of professionals to call whenever you need answers to anything you face.
Overall, we hope that when you notice anything out of the ordinary, you question it. If your family members do not take your concern seriously, contact the most appropriate professional on your contact list. Most importantly begin now taking the measures to prevent the need to enter the hospital.
