Specializing in quality home care in Wellesley and the Eastern Massachusetts area for over 29 years.

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What Can Cause Seniors to Have to Go Back to the Hospital?

Heading back to the hospital soon after they’ve been discharged is not great news for seniors. Here’s how they can avoid that.
Hospital to home transition care helps seniors recover safely at home.
Hospital to home transition care helps seniors recover safely at home.

Seniors spend time in the hospital for a variety of reasons ranging from routine procedures they expected to emergency surgeries that are a complete surprise. When it’s time for aging adults to come home from the hospital, the last thing they need is to head back again right away. Avoiding rehospitalization means avoiding some of the possible causes that could necessitate a return. Hospital to home transition care experts can offer seniors and family members the support they need to avoid heading back after they’ve been released from the hospital.

 

Difficulty Understanding Discharge Instructions

Leaving the hospital is chaotic, and sometimes that means discharge instructions seem clear but aren’t later. Discharge instructions offer seniors and the people who love them the information they need to recognize trouble, hopefully before it becomes a big problem during recovery. With help from hospital to home transition care providers, families don’t have to interpret these instructions on their own.

 

Missing Follow-up Appointments

Depending on the reason seniors are in the hospital, they might have more follow-up appointments than they expect. These appointments are an essential part of recovery and help medical providers stay updated on seniors’ progress. If seniors have challenges that affect their ability to get to those appointments, hospital to home transition care experts can help families find solutions.

 

Infections and Wound Issues

If seniors were hospitalized due to surgery, wounds that needed care, or some other type of infection, a lack of healing can send them right back to the hospital. Signs of infections might include red incision sites, fever, or chills. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when there are worries about infections. If seniors aren’t feeling well or aren’t healing well, there might be more going on.

 

Falls and Other Injuries

Falls can cause serious injuries for aging adults. If seniors fall after a hospital stay, they might find themselves headed to the hospital for another visit. Hospital to home transition care experts can help seniors and families assess fall risk factors and resolve safety concerns. They can also help families find extra help with mobility concerns, including home health care providers who can help with mobility concerns.

 

Sticking with Old Habits

In many situations, seniors find they need to make changes after a hospital stay. They might need to adopt a new way of eating, start exercising, or make other lifestyle changes. Avoiding those changes and sticking with old, familiar habits might feel good for seniors in the moment, but it can have a disastrous impact on their ability to recover. In a worst-case scenario, that means heading right back to the hospital.

 

Avoiding rehospitalization doesn’t look exactly the same for every senior, so there are variables that can be tough for families to juggle on their own. With the help of hospital to home transition care experts, families can prepare for the challenges they’re likely to come up against while their aging family members continue to recover at home.

 

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering Hospital to Home Transition Care in Sherborn, MA, please contact the caring staff at Care Resolutions, Inc., today. (508) 906-5572

CARE Resolutions, Inc provides quality 24-Hour Home Care for seniors and families in Walpole, Dover, Wellesley, Framingham, Norfolk, Quincy, Weston, Medfield, Boston, Sherborn, MA, and surrounding areas.

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