Hospital to Home: The Importance of Transitional Care

Senior Health  |  January 14, 2021

What Every Senior in Edmonton, AB Needs to Know About Transitional Care for the Elderly

The Importance of Transitional Care | After a long or even a short hospital stay, anyone appreciates the value of sleeping in one’s own bed. No one to wake you during the night, no more pokes, prods, or beeps and buzzes. Just you – snuggled up under your covers within the familiar sights and smells of home. 

As wonderful as that sounds, there are a few things to consider regarding transitioning from a hospital back into the home. For many seniors, this process may be complicated depending on their circumstances.

The Importance of Transitional Care: Transitioning Seniors Home

Seniors are of special concern during this phase, especially those who suffer from medical conditions and are required to take different medications at varying times of the day. Sending someone from a care facility such as a hospital, where around-the-clock monitoring is prevalent, to an environment where little or no interaction occurs requires advance planning to ensure the transition is smooth and safe. 

 The Importance of Transitional Care for the Senior:

• The mobility of the senior
• Medical conditions that may need monitoring
• Administration of medicine(s)
• Future appointments with healthcare providers
• Nutrition

Attention needs to be given to the mobility of the person going home. Challenges in that area should be addressed and solved before less-mobile seniors arrive home. Ensure walkways in the home are clear. Remove trip hazards such as rugs. Rearrange extension cords so they are not a hazard. Handrails in the bathroom can prevent falls.

The Importance of Transitional Care While Seniors Recuperate

Seniors recuperating from an illness may need assistance identifying symptoms in the days and weeks after coming home from the hospital. Ask friends and relatives to take turns visiting the senior each day to ensure the senior’s health is on the rise and not declining.

Proper administration of medications is essential for seniors required to take them even for a short period of time. Sometimes, if multiple medicines are needed, seniors may need help remembering time schedules. If personal help is unavailable, make the senior a daily calendar with each hour depicted. Pill dispensers can be used for this purpose, as well, and are the best option for ultimate safety to keep medications organized and aid in preventing accidental overdose.

The Importance of Transitional Care: In-Home Aftercare

Often after returning home from a hospital stay, visits to healthcare providers are scheduled to monitor the progress of those on the mend. Help seniors remember these appointments by penciling them in your own calendar. Call seniors with friendly reminders. Accompanying them to these scheduled visits further ensures these obligations are met and can also help keep you in the loop regarding any new medical care regimens that may be directed.

Seniors returning home from a hospital stay may be on a limited diet. Even if they are not, preparing and eating dinner for themselves may seem overwhelming at first. Help out by grocery shopping or preparing easy-to-heat meals which seniors can make with little or no fuss. Maintaining balanced nutrition is critical for seniors, but can be especially important for those who have had recent health issues.

Successful Transitions from Hospital to Home

Following the above tips can help pave the way to a positive transition from hospital to home. Successful transitions help eliminate returns to the hospital which are common when transitions are not well planned. If you are unable to assist a senior in need, now might be the time to hire a home healthcare provider, such as Comfort Keepers®.

Comfort Keepers® in Edmonton Can Help with In-Home Elderly Care!

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help. Comfort Keepers®’ trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. 

Companionship and Interactive Caregiving™

Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Moreover, our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality in mind: empathy. Empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. 

Learn more about our unique service offering by contacting the Comfort Keepers Edmonton office. If you live in Devon, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, or Stony Plain and surrounding areas, contact Comfort Keepers at 780-465-4665.

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is an Approved Service Provider for the Client Directed Homecare Invoicing Program Offered by Alberta Health Services. Is Invoicing the Right Option for You?  Read more about the program HERE.

Comfort Keepers Edmonton is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible. Awarded the “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” seal by Accreditation Canada. Our Edmonton location has achieved the highest available certification in Canada for Home Care services, clearly demonstrating Comfort Keepers’ commitment to offering safe, high-quality home care to its senior clients in Edmonton.

References:

Transitional Care Model. TCM overview. Retrieved on December 4, 2012 from http://www.transitionalcare.info/.

Illinois Transitional Care Consortium. Importance of transitional care in the united states health care system. Retrieved on December 4, 2012 from http://www.transitionalcare.org/about/transitional-care/.

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