The Importance of Transitional Care: From Hospital to Home

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 can appreciate the value of sleeping in one’s bed. No one wakes you during the night, no more pokes, prods, 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. Depending on circumstances this process may be complicated for many seniors.

The Importance of Transitional Care: Transitioning Seniors Home

Seniors who suffer from medical conditions are of special concern during this phase. This is especially true for those required to take different medications throughout the day. Transitioning someone from a hospital, where around-the-clock monitoring is prevalent, to an environment where little or no interaction occurs requires planning to ensure a smooth and safe move. 

 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 patient’s mobility before going home. Any challenges should be addressed before 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, even for a short period. 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 pencilling them into your 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

Above all, these tips can help pave the way to a positive transition from hospital to home. Hospital readmissions are common when transitions home are not well planned. Successful transitions help eliminate the patient returning to the hospital. 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 Elder Care!

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with retirement care, 24-hour care, respite care, senior care, companionship care, end-of-life care, post-surgery care, palliative care, personal care, senior living transition services, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers®’ caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. 

Companionship Care and Interactive Caregiving™

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

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

Home Care Edmonton

To learn more about senior care in Edmonton, contact the Comfort Keepers® office to discuss our unique service offering. If you live in Devon, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, or Stony Plain and surrounding areas, contact Comfort Keepers at 780-465-4665.

Is Invoicing Modelling and Client Direct Home Care the Right Option for You?

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is an Approved Service Provider for the Client Directed Homecare Invoicing (CDHCI) Program Offered by Alberta Health Services. Read more about the program HERE.

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible. Recently 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.

Illinois Transitional Care Consortium. Importance of transitional care in the united states health care system. 

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