15 – 25% of Medicare patients readmit to the hospital within 30 -90 days of discharge. Common reasons seniors readmit are failure to follow hospital discharge orders, recurrence of infection, injury from a fall and dementia.
Failure to Follow Discharge Orders:
Seniors need to schedule and visit their physician quickly after discharging from the hospital or rehab for a check up and to uncover any problems early as this can prevent readmission. Medications need to be filled and taken as prescribed. If medications are discontinued, they may need to be removed from any pill planners or medication dispensers to avoid medication errors. New medications need to be filled and started immediately. ElderCare 4 Families caregivers can assist with monitoring medications and making sure medications are taken as prescribed.
Recurrence of Infection:
Vitals should be taken to monitor blood pressures, oxygen levels, temperatures, weight and if applicable blood sugars to keep a close eye on potential issues and recurring infections. If antibiotics or other medications are ordered to treat the infection, it is extremely important to start the medication and to take the entire prescription as prescribed.
Injury from A Fall:
Falls can occur for many reasons however the most common place a fall occurs is in the bathroom. Help in the bathroom or with activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, toileting) can be helpful to prevent straining or falling when first home. In addition, if you or your loved one are weak from the recent illness or hospitalization, help with mobility, getting up and moving around, can keep you safe.
Safety measures can also be taken around the home to add equipment, clean clutter and allow easier access to commonly used items to prevent falls.
Dementia:
Dementia patients readmit for many reasons from missing medications, failing to keep appointments, falling and making unsafe choices. Care by a professional caregiver can help you or your loved one with dementia stay at home safely with as little or as much help as they need.
ElderCare 4 Families is here to help by providing trained caregivers from one hour up to around the clock to assist with preventing readmissions.
Working With ElderCare 4 Families
Our ElderCare advisors create a custom care plan that will account for a wide variety of situations that may arise, address any concerns you or a loved one have, and ensure essential health and safety needs are met. Not sure if you need ElderCare Services? Our ElderCare advisors can help you determine when and what type of care you need. Our elder care plans include a range of caregiver services that can be arranged across our different offerings for short-term and long-term elder care plans. We’ll work with your family and any long-term care insurance policies and Veteran’s Administration programs to maximize your resources so that you can receive personalized elder care in your own home or wherever you call home.
