Returning to senior housing after a hospital stay can be challenging for both patients and their caregivers.
A visit to the hospital can change everything. Readjusting to a new environment can be challenging for the elderly, especially if their health has declined or their care requirements have grown. This may require upgrading to a more expensive community or dramatically increasing the amount of money spent on care overall. In addition to the physical challenges, adapting to a new routine or living situation can be emotionally taxing.
A wide variety of unexpected medical issues, from heart attacks to severe dehydration, can necessitate an emergency hospital stay. You may help yourself and your loved one through the discharge process by being prepared for some of the most frequent challenges that arise after a hospital stay. Here’s how to help them better manage the transition back to assisted living centers in Drakes Branch, FL after a hospital stay.
Maintain Community While in Hospital
One of the most important aspects of managing a loved one’s transition from an independent living community, assisted living community, or memory care community is maintaining open lines of contact with that community. Depending on the severity of the situation, a visit to the ER could last only a few hours, but it could also result in an extended hospital stay.
It is imperative that you acquire written confirmation of the retirement community’s bed hold policy as soon as possible if you did not address it when your loved one was admitted. A bed hold charge, paid out of pocket, may be necessary to secure a patient’s present hospital room, depending on the patient’s expected length of stay and the nature of their medical condition. Mismanagement of these plans could result in the loss of a family member’s bed. If there is a waitlist or no vacant rooms when they return, they may be moved to another floor or given a different room.
Re-assess Physical and Cognitive Abilities After Stay
Discharge time can be stressful, but it is important for loved ones to understand how their loved one’s condition has changed and how that has affected the community’s ability to meet their needs and how much residential care will cost. The first step is to learn about the community’s requirements for new residents.
To evaluate a resident’s physical and mental capacities and to identify the appropriate care needs, a functional evaluation is often performed both upon initial admission and after any changes in the resident’s condition. One such example is the requirement that residents of assisted living communities be able to walk without aid. If an elderly is unable to walk after a hospital stay, their residence may be terminated if the community cannot accommodate their needs.
Navigate Elder Care
Oftentimes, an elderly’s need for more intensive care is triggered by a hospitalization. Someone who previously lived alone but now needs help with daily living activities might have to hire a professional caregiver to come to their house or relocate to an assisted living community. Or, a person who was previously able to live independently may now need constant monitoring and/or nursing assistance.
