Recovery from a hospital stay can be a difficult transition for seniors, especially when they live alone. Whether the hospitalization was for surgery, illness, or injury, returning to regular life takes patience, support, and, in many cases, post hospital care. Home care is an essential component to a healthy recovery for seniors, providing them with support and the post hospital care tips they need to regain independence and adjust how they go about their days to ensure improved health and well-being.
Support for Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
One of the most difficult hurdles for seniors after hospitalization is returning to daily activities such as washing, dressing, and grooming. Weakness, pain, or limited mobility might make these tasks difficult.
Home care provides hands-on post hospital care and support to seniors so they can maintain their personal hygiene and dignity during recovery. This support also ensures seniors are monitored, improving safety and decreasing the risk of falls or other injuries, which could result in another hospital stay.
Mobility and Physical Therapy Support
Many seniors report diminished mobility following a hospitalization. Whether they are recovering from a fracture, stroke, or surgery, moving safely is essential.
Home care providers offer them assistance with physical therapy exercises and proper use of mobility devices. This allows seniors to take things slowly and gives them confidence in their movements as their strength is restored.
Medication Reminders
As part of the post hospital care plan, many seniors will have a new medication routine, which can be quite stressful.
With home care by their side, they gain valuable medication reminders, ensuring that doses are taken at the appropriate times. This minimizes the likelihood of missing medications or accidental overdoses, resulting in improved health.
Food Preparation and Nutrition
Proper eating is essential for healing, but some seniors may struggle to cook following a hospital stay. Caregivers can assist with meal planning and preparation, ensuring that seniors eat nutritious meals. They can also accommodate dietary restrictions or doctor-recommended meal programs to help patients recover.
Even better? For seniors with mobility issues, they can do the grocery shopping as well.
Household Assistance
Along with helping seniors with ADLs, having support from home care gives them assistance with simple household chores such as cleaning, laundry, and organizing. This is significant, as a clean home decreases stress and eliminates risks that could cause falls or illnesses.
Emotional and Social Support
Recovering at home can be isolating, particularly for seniors who live alone. However, post hospital care professionals provide emotional support and encouragement, which can significantly improve a senior’s mental health.
Knowing they have someone they can rely on or just talk to while they eat their meals is more powerful than one might think.
Preventing Hospital Readmissions
One of the primary advantages of home care is the reduction in the likelihood of hospital readmission. Many seniors return to the hospital as a result of falls, medication errors, or consequences from poor post hospital care. Home care helps reduce these risks by monitoring changes in health, reminding seniors to take their medications, and much more.
Home care is an important resource for seniors and should be included in their post hospital care plan. It offers vital assistance with personal care, mobility, medication management, nutrition, and mental well-being. Home care with post hospital care also helps seniors recover safely, regain independence, and have a higher quality of life at home.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Post Hospital Care in UTC, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aaron Home Care. (619) 880-5522
A Trusted Home Care Agency Serving La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, San Diego, UTC, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Coronado, Bonita, Eastlake and the surrounding areas.
Sources:
- https://www.helpguide.org/aging/healthy-aging/home-care-services-for-seniors
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-place/aging-place-growing-older-home
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/hospital-discharge#:~:text=After%20a%20hospital%20discharge%2C%20you,prevent%20problems%20from%20getting%20worse.
In 1999, Aaron was named Residential Program Manager of a group home for disabled adults in Arlington, Virgina. Here, he built a reputation for being compassionate with his clients and efficient in company operations. In the years that followed, Washington DC’s human services field went through unprecedented reform when the city was fined $11 million for the previously unchecked abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the very population it was supposed to protect. In 2005, Aaron was selected by a watchdog company to co-create and implement a monitoring system to safeguard and advocate for the system’s most vulnerable residents. This system is still in use today.
Aaron is now using his unique gifts and profound experience in the human service field to provide San Diego County Seniors with dependable, compassionate caregivers through Aaron Home Care.
He currently serves on the board of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council and is an active member of the Senior Advocate Network of San Diego.
Aaron Home Care is a member of the American Board of Home Care and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
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