Your elderly loved one has been in the hospital for some time from a serious illness and it’s finally time for her to come home. Hospitals very rarely wait until a person is fully recovered before they send them home. Instead, your loved one is most likely going to need more time to fully recover, she just gets to do it at home now. Consider having a provider come to the home to help with hospital to home transition tasks.
Why People Are Sent Home to Finish Recovery
You may wonder why your loved one is coming home if she still isn’t feeling well. While there are many reasons why discharges seem to occur earlier and earlier during recovery periods, there are some positive outcomes from your loved one coming home to complete her recovery, whether it’s from an illness or an injury.
- Your loved one gets to be in an environment that she’s comfortable in. Nothing feels better than your bed, your pillows, a favorite blanket, and perhaps a pet to snuggle with.
- Home is where the heart is. White sterile walls of hospital rooms project very little warmth and positive emotions. At home, your loved one will be comforted by the memories and items around her, often creating a more positive attitude, which can speed recovery.
- Less noise and interruptions. If your loved one needs to rest, it can be hard to rest in a busy, active hospital with constantly interrupting nurses and alarms going off from down the hall.
- Reduced risk of your loved one developing a different health condition. Let’s face it, hospitals are full of sick people. That means there are a lot more viruses and bacteria around that could make your loved one ill.
Six Tips for Getting the Home Ready for Your Recovering Loved One
For your loved one to benefit from those perks of being home, you will need to do a bit of prep before her hospital to home transition.
- A hospital to home transition provider might help with meal preparation, medication management, or personal grooming needs your loved one might have.
- While your loved one’s bed might be comfortable, is it the best for her recovery? If she needs a bed that can keep a part of her body raised or if she’ll need bars to help her get in and out of bed, consider either buying or renting an adjustable bed. You can still put all her favorite pillows and blankets on it.
- Add appropriate lighting. Whether it’s darkening a room that your loved one may want to sleep in during the day, or providing night lights to help your loved one see at night if she needs to be checked throughout the night, make sure there is appropriate lighting to keep her safe and comfortable.
- Create an area near the bed that has all of her essentials. You might move a table near her bed so she can place her water bottle, phone, remote, books, etc. within easy reach.
- Clean up all the clutter. Prevent tripping by making sure the floors are clear of any clutter or items she could trip on.
- If your loved one can have visitors, still plan for friends and family members to visit. It can provide you with a bit of a break and she’ll appreciate the company.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition Services in Nazareth PA, please get in touch with the caring staff at Extended Family Care Allentown today. Call 610-432-6766
Extended Family Care Allentown is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Allentown, Pennsylvania including Bethlehem, Easton, Emmaus, Macungie, Whitehall, Schnecksville, Catasauqua, Northampton, and Nazareth.
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