A hospital stay can be scary and traumatic for your loved one who has had to stay in the hospital to safely recover and for her loved ones who have had to anxiously wait for her to recover. Whether a long hospital stay is due to illness, injury, or disease, there is always a collective sigh of relief when the doctors finally say “We think you’re ready to go home now.” If you are concerned about your loved one falling, there are steps you can take to provide hospital to home transition services to help this go smoothly.
Why Recovering at Home is Better
Once your loved one is strong enough to go home, there are many good reasons for her to finish her recovery at home, and they’re not all financial ones.
Hospitals can be stressful environments with lots of daily interruptions, constant unfamiliar noises, and a lack of comfort materials. That stress makes it more difficult for the body to heal. Hospitals are also a key location for many viruses and bacteria that your loved one could encounter while already fighting her health issues. Finally, and simply, a hospital is just not home and nothing feels better than being home.
Preventing Further Injury Upon Returning Home
Because most people leave the hospital still needing recovery time, it’s important to realize that your loved one is not going home because she’s fully recovered. She’s going home to continue her recovery journey. She’s still going to need some help as she recovers and her body will not be working at full capacity, no matter what the reasons were that she was in the hospital.
When you care for an elderly loved one, you may worry that she will be put at greater risk of falling when she returns home due to a lack of strength, or parts of her body not being recovered enough to sustain the rigors of walking.
Five Tips to Reduce the Risk of Falling When Embarking Upon a Hospital to Home Transition
Avoid Stair Climbing When Alone, Especially at Night. That may mean moving your loved one’s bed to a room that is close to the bathroom if the bedroom and bathroom are not on the same floor. It might also mean having a portable commode for your loved one to use if that’s not possible.
Carefully Review All Flooring. Before your loved one comes home, take a good look at all of the floors she’ll need to use. Are there loose rugs that may present tripping hazards or electrical cords for things like fans? Get them all off the floor.
Consider Adding Lighting. A dark area creates an easy spot for your loved one to miss something that’s on the floor and trip over it, thus complicating her hospital to home transition. A few nightlights in key rooms can help her when she needs to enter a room in the evening.
Purchase Non-Slip Slippers. Don’t have your loved one wear regular slippery socks around the home. Instead, get socks or slippers that have grippers on the bottom to help her keep her footing.
Have Help Nearby. Whether it’s family or a home care provider trained in hospital to home transition services, having someone nearby to assist with moving around during that initial healing period can prevent falls and further injury.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition Services in Elizabethtown PA, please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Lancaster today. Call (717) 391-6363
Extended Family Care Lancaster is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania including Columbia, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hershey, Lebanon, Lititz, Manheim, New Holland, and Paradise.
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