Preventing Hospitalizations and Re-hospitalizations
Hospitals are wonderful when you need them. There is no doubt, however, that it’s better to stay healthy to begin with. No matter the skill of doctors and nurses, a health crisis is difficult. It’s hard for older adults to bounce back. And many never quite bounce back to where they were before they were hospitalized.
Preventing unnecessary hospitalizations, therefore, is one way to help your aging parents stay healthy and independent for as long as possible.
And if a hospitalization has occurred, increasing the chance of a stable recovery is a great way to avoid the setback of a re-hospitalization.
Here are ways to help your loved one manage his or her health conditions effectively:
Help your family member organize his or her medications so it’s easy to take the right ones at the right time. (See our article about managing medications.) Bring the medications to each doctor’s visit and make sure they are all still pertinent and that there are no conflicts. If a change in medication is advised, find out how that affects the others. Are there any conflicts? Any existing prescriptions that can or should be dropped? When should the new medicine be taken? How long should it be taken? Any side effects? Because medications change frequently, come up with a way to easily know/look up the most current schedule. See the suggestions to help you and your loved one keep track in our article about managing medications.
What method do you use to track medications? How do you keep the list up to date?
Rehospitalizations are unfortunately very common. Although your loved one may have been released to home, that doesn’t mean he or she is totally “out of the woods.” While your relative is still in the hospital, find out what doctor(s) he or she should see afterward for follow-up. Request that the hospital forward records to all of them. Before you leave the hospital, call the doctor’s office to set up an appointment for the next week. You may need to be firm with the doctor’s receptionist. Explain that your loved one has just been hospitalized and needs to have a follow-up appointment to be sure he or she is not getting worse.
Which doctor is the most appropriate to see for a follow-up? The primary care physician? A specialist?
Once a diagnosis has been made, find out more about the illness. Ask the doctor to explain it so you understand what parts of the body are having trouble and why. If there are terms you don’t understand, ask for clarification. You can also look up your loved one’s condition on Medline Plus for seniors. This website is published by the National Library of Medicine. It has large type and is written in easy-to-understand language. You might also wish to look at our article about educating yourself.
Do you have questions about your loved one’s condition? What resources might you consult to help you find answers? The doctor? The discharge planner? The Internet?
Ask the doctor to group symptoms as “green light” for normal recovery, “yellow light” for early signs of a possible problem, and “red light” for a significant problem. Find out what to do and who to call in case of yellow light or red light symptoms.
Do you feel confident in your ability to spot a problem developing? If not, ask the health care staff for help.
Many chronic conditions improve dramatically with changes in diet or exercise. Stopping smoking is one of the bigger lifestyle changes that can improve health and keep your loved one out of the hospital. But these changes are not easy. And nagging will only build resentment. In the spirit of collaboration, however, you can still support your loved one to make what changes he or she can. Even little steps add up. Consider reading our article about supporting a family member to change in “Your Changing Role.”
Falls and car accidents. Injury is a common cause of hospitalization for older adults, in particular, falls and automobile accidents. See our articles about preventing falls and driving safely.
Medications. Problems with medication frequently result in a fall and therefore injury. Taking too many pills, not the right ones, or taking them in the wrong combination can cause your family member to feel dizzy and lose balance. Helping him or her manage medications well is a great way to reduce the risk of injury and hospitalization.
Burns. Burns are an unexpected source of injury for seniors, but are in fact the second leading cause of injury death for older adults.
Burns can come from house fires—nearly half of which start in the kitchen—or from scalding water. Older adults have thinner skin, so they burn easier and do not recover as readily.
Reduced sensitivity in older adults can cause them not to react quickly when there is a problem, so they are exposed to the heat for longer and sustain a more serious burn. For instance, all it takes is 3 seconds of exposure to water that is 140° to cause a burn serious enough to require surgery.
Ways to prevent burns
Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries regularly.
Set water heaters to no more than 120° (a bit less than the medium setting).
Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
Have an escape plan with alternate routes in case of a fire.
Never leave the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.
Turn pot handles so they face the back of the stove.
Wear short-sleeved shirts or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
Have falls been a problem in the past? Do you have concerns about your relative’s driving? Are there precautions you can take about burns?
I can't thank Michelle enough for her hard work and dedication in helping my mom and I during this Medicaid process. She was very professional and always available to answer any questions regardless of the day or time.
Michelle has provided my family with a wealth of needed information and services since 2016. In a professional but very caring manner, Aging Well Care Management has provided help with referrals, paperwork, moving and a deep knowledge of her craft. I, too, live far from New York and appreciate the work she has done with my cousin and aunt. I have great confidence in her abilities.
Michelle Spencer’s assessment of my sister’s needs and knowledge of aging well options were instrumental in helping us find a safe, supportive and caring assisted living location.She helped us navigate the placement process quickly and has been there for follow-up actions. This is especially reassuring to us because we do not live nearby.
I have been very happy working with Michelle from Aging Well Care Management and feel fortunate to have found someone who is kind, trustworthy, caring, and accommodating. This is important because I live 500 miles from my 90 year old mother, who also appreciates her weekly visits. I certainly recommend Michelle and Aging Well Care Management.
I have recently signed on as an Aging Well Care Management client. I am working with Michelle on my mother's behalf on the first task and thus far I am satisfied. I will be able to provide updated feedback after this task is complete.Thank you Michelle.
Great experience with Michelle. She was very informative and shared lots of good information. It take a load off my mind to know that I have Aging Well Care to turn to when I need assistance with the care of my sister in law who has Alzheimer’s. I would recommend them highly.
Michelle has been wonderful as a long-distance liaison for me as I have helped my parents transition in/out of rehab and assisted living facilities over the past year. Knowing I can count on her from afar to help when needed with scheduling appointments, following up with facilities, and transportation has been a relief and much weight off my shoulders. She is experienced and can help you navigate/advocate. Even if you live locally she can provide welcome relief and support when caring for others. I highly recommend Aging Well Care Management.
Michelle is wonderful. She is very knowledgeable and helpful. Told us everything we needed to know and help us get my grandmother a place to stay quickly.
I have known Michelle Spencer for two years she has been a well liked and available social worker to many people in Village Park residential apartments I employed Michelle last year and this year to assist me with editing our handbook also minutes of our residential Council Michelle has also also given me advice on medical billing I have found Michelle to be professional very knowledge flexible as she can be in her busy schedule she answers my text quickly and projects her schedule so that I can easily arrange my date I enjoy working with Michelle because she is professional easy in her conversations and willing to teach I would certainly recommend Michelle to any person or organization that needs casework or professional guidance
Working for Aging Well Care Management, LLC has been an absolute pleasure. Michelle goes above and beyond for her client’s & their families. She expects nothing less than the best from her staff. I look forward to watching this company grow & being a part of it all.
Michelle has been fantastic. Offering words of encouragement and giving useful suggestions. Our family member can be more than challenging and she has been very good at helping us through difficult times.
Thank you for your care, concern and assistance with my disabled relative. Your experience and support were much appreciated as we navigated through the variety of challenges that came up. He enjoyed your visits.
Recently our family went through a life changing event with my aging father. After unexpected time in the hospital, it was clear that dad needed full time care outside of his home. Faced with the daunting task of finding the right place for dad we retained Michelle Spencer to help us through the process. She was a huge help navigating medicaid, facility selection and all the issues we were facing for the first time. I would highly recommend Michelle to anyone that is dealing with similar decisions.