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Help after a hospital stay
Most people know what it’s like to come home from a hospital stay. Maybe there was a fall that required surgery and then rehab to get you on your feet again. Perhaps there was a scheduled procedure and now you’re home healing the rest of the way. Whatever the situation, a little help once you’re home, can make all the difference to your recovery.
Of course, many people may be assigned several weeks of nursing and physical therapy help at home through their medical provider. If that coverage has been completed, or if you or a loved one still need for assistance, SameAddress may be able to serve that need.
The staff at SameAddress understand that a shift back to home from a hospital, rehab or nursing facility can be challenging. They can help ensure you have a smooth and stress-free transition home.
The challenges
One of the issues that you or your caregiver may realize quickly is that the arrival home came with deluge of information about your condition and doctor’s orders. While discharge orders are shared with you in written form, they can still be overwhelming. This issue can be intensified even with friends or loved ones helping you, but it can be overwhelming for them as well.
Though many of your needs may be covered by health insurance or Medicare, making sure all the items requiring attention are acted on can take significant time and energy. The list of things that may need to be handled is long:
• Are all of the details of the transition home clearly understood?
• Is home care needed and arranged?
• Is the house clean and stocked with food?
• Do any home modifications or home safety equipment ordered need to be put in place?
• Is there a need for a Personal Emergency Response button?
• Does any telehealth equipment need to be ordered or set up?
• Will there be any follow-up doctor appointments, and has transportation been arranged?
• Is there a need for physical therapy, occupational therapy, a nursing assistant or other caregiver support person needed?
• Are recommendations for changes to diet or exercise plans being followed?
• Has a medication tray been set up?
• Is necessary communication happening with your family being handled in a way that works for everyone? Are there differences of opinion about how treatment should be handled that are creating stress within the family?
• Is all the care you need in place? Finding help
The good news is that there are resources that can help. An experienced and professional Patient Advocate or Case Manager can help with these issues or more. Some facilities may provide one, others not. If it’s possible, engage the skills of someone who has the expertise, experience and the time to manage the details and ensure your transition home and recovery go as smoothly as possible.
An ideal solution is to find a Patient Advocate who understands the particular needs of an older adult going home. SameAddress, the private pay program of the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, offers precisely this expertise. Their Transitioning Home Program is designed to help people adjust quickly, comfortably and safely back home after being away for hospitalization or rehab. The program is designed to provide nurse-managed oversight of all aspects of the transition so the senior can relax and get well, knowing all the details are covered. SameAddress services can start before your loved one leaves the hospital, allowing you both to rest easy knowing they are in the hands of kind, caring, skilled professionals.
To learn more about how SameAddress can help in this way or others, call them at (866) 736-4671.
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