Concerning Christianity

According to a Northwestern Medicine study, hospitalizations may cause temporary memory loss and difficulty in understanding discharge instructions. I can’t say that this is really all that surprising to me. There are many psychological effects of hospitalization that are not given the attention they demand. For most seniors, hospitals are scary places. They are not places that represent the hope of recovery but rather places that highlight a senior’s own mortality. This is not the hospital’s fault but certainly some work could be done to combat this perception especially since it prevents many seniors from seeking treatment for conditions that, if left unattended, could be life threatening. Some semblance of an elderly sensitivity training program would be a giant first step in the right direction. Teaching those that interact with seniors to be aware of some of the obstacles that prevent them from processing in the same manner as other patients would help tremendously. But let’s first deal with the issue at hand.

While the study points out that dementia has been linked to hospitalizations, it also points out that in most cases the seniors go back to normal within a month after the hospital stay. What a relief for their families! But what a terrible time to be confused! During a typical discharge a senior is given a myriad of paperwork, a laundry list of homework, a litany of new prescription medications to manage and virtually no support network to ensure that any of it actually gets accomplished. Isn’t it odd that readmission rates are so high? Wouldn’t it be grand if there were someone around that could help?

This is precisely where a Home Instead Senior Care CAREGiver would be indispensable and why we have developed the Hospital to Home Program.

Hospital to Home is a program designed to give a senior and their family the extra level of support they need during a discharge and immediately following a hospitalization. Our nurse supervisor will visit the senior in the hospital during their stay once a discharge date has been set. During this visit, our nurse will take the time to learn about the senior’s challenges and help to suggest steps that can be taken to address the concerns. Together, a plan of care will be developed that will guide the service that we provide. On the day of the discharge, our CAREGiver will arrive to help the senior gather their belongings and all of the pertinent paperwork. They will drive the senior back home and help them get settled. This assistance can take many shapes. Doing the dishes, running to the pharmacy to fill prescriptions, changing the linens, shopping for groceries or even preparing a meal are all ways that a Home Instead CAREGiver can make this transition a smooth one. But perhaps most importantly, nobody wants to come home to an empty house. Just having someone there is an incredible blessing in itself.  Your parent or loved one may protest. They may say that can do it on their own. In some cases they may be right. But would you want to be all by yourself? Your loved one deserves the very best.