Pneumonia and Toronto’s Elderly: At-Home Recovery Tips

Senior Health and Wellbeing  |  February 3, 2016

In the 1930s pneumonia was the number one infectious disease and killed more people than tuberculosis. Thankfully, modern medicine has provided us with the knowledge and tools to greatly reduce the number of individuals who die from pneumonia each year. People, especially the elderly, still do get pneumonia, and sometimes they still die.

Why Elderly Pneumonia Patients Are Often Readmitted To The Hospital

There are many reasons seniors are readmitted to the hospital for conditions like pneumonia, and some of these factors are controllable. Studies indicate that seniors who live alone are particularly vulnerable to suffering from a reinfection that requires re-admittance to the hospital. They may not eat properly because they have no energy to shop for or prepare food, or they may not have an appetite. Because they may be sleeping most of the time, they may not be aware that their symptoms are worsening or have the energy to see their primary care physician for follow-up. Having a continuum of care to support these seniors once they leave the hospital can be critical to success.

How Families Can Help Senior Pneumonia Patients At Home

While there are very clear guidelines many hospitals are using to help their patients can successfully recover at home, often these seniors are unable to follow through on the medical professionals’ instructions without assistance. In-home care can provide the additional support these recovering seniors need. Our specially trained caregivers, the people we refer to as Comfort Keepers®, can provide that critical link between the senior and the senior’s family and physicians.

Our Comfort Keepers can help the senior transition to home by shopping so there is adequate food in the house and can assist the senior meet his or her dietary requirements through meal planning and preparation and by helping the senior to stay hydrated. They can also support the senior and help him, or her be compliant with medical instructions through medication reminders and by providing transportation to and from follow-up appointments with the family physician.

By carefully monitoring the seniors under their care, Comfort Keepers can identify when symptoms are worsening and can alert their supervisors and the seniors’ families of the changing situation. They also help alleviate depression, which has been shown to increase rates of readmission, through meaningful interaction with the seniors under their care and help them move around the home to reduce the risk of falls. Most importantly, our Comfort Keepers can assist recovering seniors with daily activities so they can focus on getting better and their families can have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are being cared for and supported.

Comfort Keepers®’ trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs) no matter what the weather.

For additional information on Comfort Keepers of Canada® at Toronto or any other Comfort Keepers of Canada® location please visit our home page or call us at 416-663-2930.

References

• Oh, J. (September 21, 2011). 10 Proven Ways to Reduce Hospital Readmissions. Becker’s Infection control & Clinical Quality. Retrieved from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/10-proven-ways-to-reduce-hospital-readmissions.html
• File, T. M. (September 16, 2013). Reducing readmissions in community-acquired pneumonia. Physicians Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.physiciansweekly.com/community-acquired-pneumonia-readmissions/
• Medline Plus. (February 3, 2014). Pneumonia—adults—discharge. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000017.htm
• Podolsky, S. H. (December 2005).The Changing Fate of Pneumonia as a Public Health Concern in 20th-Century America and Beyond. Am J Public Health, 95(12), 2144–2145. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.048397. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449499/.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (February 2013). The revolving door: A report on U.S. hospital readmissions. Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf404178.
• Silow-Carroll, S., Edwards, J.N., and Lashbrook, A. (April 2011). Reducing hospital readmissions: Lessons from top-performing hospitals. The CommonWealth Fund Synthesis Report. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Case%20Study/2011/Apr/1473_SilowCarroll_readmissions_synthesis_web_version.pdf

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