After the hospital visit...

  Routines are nice because you tend know what to expect. If you’ve ever been unexpectedly

hospitalized, you know that life can quickly become anything but routine.  Upon being discharged, people often find themselves facing a world of uncertainty. In an attempt to reduce medical costs, the federal government has placed increased emphasis on care transitions, a process that can quickly overwhelm many patients and their families.

The goal of care transitions is to achieve a continuity of care where patients successfully move from one setting to another with proper information, and managing the ongoing care process.  One aspect of success specific to the Affordable Care Act (i.e., ObamaCare), is a reduction of hospital re-admissions within 30 days of discharge.  Excessive re-admissions can cause hospital reimbursement rates to be cut.

Discharge is often an overwhelming experience.  Patients and family members are often inundated with information, and instructions can be confusing. Knowing this, we’d like to share some suggestions to assist in successfully transferring from the hospital to home:

Anticipate Care Needs –  Meet with your healthcare team before discharge to discuss your specific situation and ask questions to get an idea of what you and your family might expect over the next 30 to 60 days (e.g. medication regimens, medical needs, therapy, need to monitor vital signs/blood sugar, activity and diet restrictions, help with transfers and transportation).

Request Information – Take time to learn from your healthcare team about your condition and care needs. Don’t expect to remember everything the first time through. In addition to information gathered during conversations, ask for written education materials you can read and refer to over time. If needed, ask for demonstrations of specific tasks.

Focus on Safety –  Make sure you know what is needed and that you are equipped and able to do what is necessary (e.g., medication management, disease self-management, arranging follow-up appointments, helping with personal care and activities of daily living). Also, become familiar with signs and symptoms that might suggest a need for urgent attention or a call to 911.

Clarify – Ask questions. IE: “What if I cannot get in to see my Doctor within the timeframe indicated?” and “Is the hospital sending my medical records to my physician?”

Seek Support – The time and effort required to deliver the needed level of care and support can be daunting. That’s where we come in.  Home Helpers recognizes that care demands are often more than family can handle alone while maintaining other responsibilities.  A free consultation can be arranged to take place at a hospital before discharge.  We can arrange for transportation, home care services, follow up schedules, etc.

At Home Helpers, we structure our services around the needs, goals, preferences, and values of those we serve. We consider it a privilege to assist in care transitions and provide home care services needed to Make Life Easier.

Bringing useful news to educate our clients is one more way that Home Helpers has been making life easier for over a decade.  Call us today at 704-909-7958.  And as always, you can find us on our website,  Facebook and Google+!