Upon Release: From Hospital Rehab to Home

At Champion Home Health Care we like to keep you and your loved ones informed regarding current issues relating to the aging members of your family. In a previous post, we discussed numerous ways in which to age healthily. Despite one’s best efforts and intentions, sometimes health issues present themselves as an emergency, such as a fall or an illness which strikes unexpectedly. Often such situations result in a loved one ending up in the hospital and/or rehabilitation.

According to the AARP, there are some common reasons elderly are admitted to the hospital. Some of these reasons are: stroke, pneumonia, medication problems, infection, diabetes, coronary atherosclerosis, COPD, cardiac arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure. So, what happens once your loved one is treated and released from the hospital or discharged from rehab should they experience one of these events? Let’s look at this process and how Champion Home Health Care can be of service.

When an elderly loved one is admitted to a hospital in a crisis-situation, the staff and family are focused on the medical treatment of the patient. Once the patient is treated and deemed well enough to return home or to a rehabilitation center, the hospital puts in place a discharge plan. Medicare defines discharge planning as: “A process used to decide what a patient needs for a smooth move from one level of care to another.” This process is important not only for the patient, but for the family and caregivers as well. A thorough discharge plan can prepare a caregiver to appropriately assist a senior upon release, ensure proper prescribing of medication, and decrease the likelihood of the patient having to be readmitted to the hospital. Typically, a doctor releases a patient, but a discharge plan can also be handled by a nurse, social worker or case manager.

A discharge plan includes the following:

• Evaluation of the patient.
• Discussion regarding planning for a release to home and/or rehab.
• Determining if the caregiver needs training or support to care for the patient.
• Referrals for support in the community, home care, or agencies which may aid in the process.
• Arranging of follow up appointments and/or tests.

It is obvious that a lot is entailed in the release, transport and care for a senior loved one newly released from a hospital or rehab center. That is where the caregivers at Champion Home Health Care, serving Brevard County, can step in and give you and your loved one the peace of mind families deserve in a stressful time. We can care for seniors at home, providing the appropriate and specialized treatment needed. Our trained caregivers can provide 24/7 assistance so your senior family member is never unattended while they take the time to convalesce. Our caregivers can assist with the following activities:

Be sure to call us if you are in the Melbourne, FL area and could use our home health care services. Make sure to check out our webpage and Facebook page too. Let us champion for you and your loved one while keeping them safe and healthy at home!