As people age, more often than not they will end up visiting the hospital for health conditions ranging from falls to strokes.
For severe cases, the elderly will normally be admitted between a few days to weeks and often results in lifestyle changes.
Not all hospital discharges result in the elderly resuming their normal lifestyles. Some require further follow-ups as well as professional care that family members are unable to provide.
Here are some questions family members usually have in regards to that :
How will the discharge be carried out? What do we need to know about our loved one’s care needs? Where will they live to get professional care besides the hospital?
● When will my elderly loved one be discharged?
Your loved one’s care team must be satisfied that their patient is well enough to leave without the need to return for more treatments and just requires the occasional check-up.
Accommodation is also taken into consideration as there should be proper care or alternative support to allow them to return home safely.
● Treatment and care plans
A treatment plan will be devised. The patient’s health information, medication or therapies and hospital visits or stays will be documented with the consent of the patient, family members and relevant professionals involved.
A care plan will be created to evaluate the ability of the patient to live independently throughout the time of care.
● Establishing a discharge date
This is handled on a case-to-case basis. If your elderly loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s or needs professional care at home, time is needed to gather medical supplies.
Transport arrangements as well as professional care services require time to be established. Some hospitals have a higher demand for beds therefore patients who no longer need hospital treatment are required to vacate the bed as soon as possible.
● Managing a hospital discharge
Matters related to the discharge will usually be coordinated by the nurse taking care of your elderly loved one throughout the hospital stay.
Nurses play a pivotal role throughout the discharge process as they are the ones who actually monitor and keep track of the patient’s progress before, after and throughout their hospital stay.
● What is Reablement?
Reablement is a term for recuperation or recovery after being discharged from the hospital and may require specific life changes temporarily.
Usually, a recovery team will keep track of your elderly loved one’s transition of lifestyle from the point of discharge.
A clear set of requirements will be established through the recuperation and discharge plan. The rest of it is up to your elderly loved one and your family to decide how to provide the necessary needs to allow the best form of recovery.
● Considering a nursing home or care home
Nowadays, most families opt for having fewer children in the house or family members have moved around for work obligations. This makes it harder for family members to take care of their elderly loved one even if there is no problem with the number of family members available.
Most of them will have daily responsibilities to carry out and not be at home for most of the day. This leads to opting for in-home care or a nursing home as alternative solutions .
The final decision should come from your loved one as it is their life that will be affected by the choices made.
● Arranging private live-in care at home
Most families prefer private live-in care for their elderly because they can be comfortable at home. They are also able to continue being independent with no interruptions or restrictions to their usual lifestyle.
● Who will care for your parent at home?
Usually a caregiver is assigned to care for and aid your elderly loved one at home. It is up to the family to decide if they want a live-in or daily basis caregiver.
Caregivers can carry out light housekeeping and non-medical tasks such as keeping track of your loved one’s medication routine.
They also provide companionship and emotional support by aiding your elderly loved one in their daily routines while helping them maintain their independence.
However, if your elderly loved one requires medical tasks to be performed on a regular basis such as wound dressing changes or handling of medical equipment at home then a nurse would be a better option working in tandem with the caregiver on an as-needed basis.
This article was written by Andrew Mastrandonas, Co-founder & CEO of Pillar (www.pillarcare.com) and reviewed by Dr Lim Geng Yan (M.D). Pillar provides a range of elderly home caregiving services, sending trained and certified professional caregivers and nurses to clients’ homes. For more information please visit https://care.pillarcare.com/fmtpromo