Right at Home Senior Care of Louisville, KY Recognizes Patient Safety Week March
February 18, 2011
Safety Tips Offered for Seniors During and After Hospital Discharge
March 6 to 12, 2011 will be recognized as Patient Safety Week, an annual education and awareness campaign led by the National Patient Safety Foundation to encourage and strengthen collaboration between patients, families and healthcare providers.
Patient Safety Week highlights the need for healthcare participants to be informed, involved and invested in making healthcare safe. Our aging loved ones often require special attention and care to help them remain safe during and after a stay in a healthcare facility.”
When patients are discharged from the hospital, the effects of their condition are not necessarily gone when they return home. This often makes it difficult for a patient to safely adjust back to daily life. If your aging loved one has recently been hospitalized, the following tips can help him remain safe during and after the discharge process:
- Be involved in decision making: Talking with your loved one and his doctors ensures that everyone has the same goals and information, which is an important step toward a safe and healthy recovery.
- Discuss medications: Before your loved one is discharged, talk with the doctor about the medications he will be taking. Discuss the purpose, dosage and side effects of each so both you and your loved one can be prepared if any complications arise. One of the main causes of a slower recovery is improper use of medications.
- Schedule follow-up appointments: Find out what follow-up appointments and tests are needed. If your loved one needs assistance getting to these appointments, consider hiring an in-home care agency such as Right at Home to provide transportation since regular doctor visits are important to most patients’ recovery.
Right at Home recently launched RightTransitions, a solution to ease the transition for patients from a healthcare facility to their home and to safeguard against unnecessary hospital readmissions. Right at Home works closely with discharge planners to develop a personalized plan for support services to allow patients to get back on their feet while safely recovering in their home. Services provided include communication with family and healthcare providers, regular visits, medication reminders, transportation to doctors’ appointments, meal preparation and housework. For more information on RightTransitions or other Right at Home services, call us today at 502-897-0580 or 812-285-9100