Senior Care Coronado CA

You may never want to think about your elderly parents getting hurt or suffering an extended illness that requires hospitalization, but for many family caregivers, a hospital stay will be a reality for one or both of their aging parents. Knowing how to adjust your senior care plan as you help your loved ones back into their home after their hospital stay can make the transition smoother and less stressful, and help increase their chances of a successful recovery.

Preparing to transition your elderly parents back home after a hospital stay should begin well before they are discharged. This enables you to get your plan into place and feel confident they will have the care and assistance they need from the very beginning of this new chapter in their care.

Use these tips to successfully transition your aging loved ones from hospital care back home:

Understand their diagnosis. The key to preparing appropriate care for your parents after their hospital stay is understanding the challenges they are currently facing. Ask the doctor and nurses about your parents’ diagnosis and get clarification for any terms you do not understand. Do not feel uncomfortable asking questions or saying that you are not sure what things mean. The medical team does not expect you to be familiar with everything and are more than happy to help you understand.
Understand their prognosis. In addition to understanding the condition or injury your elderly parents are facing, you should also know what to expect in the coming days, weeks, months, and even years. Work with the medical team to create a list of symptoms to look for, timelines for when your seniors should be feeling better or showing other forms of improvement, and when you may need to call the doctor.
Prepare the home. Once you know what type of care and assistance your parents will need when they are back home, explore the house and identify any changes you may need to make in order to help your seniors stay healthy and safe throughout the recovery and beyond. Make as many of these changes as possible before discharge so the home is prepared for your seniors. Some changes you may want to consider include eliminating fall hazards, adding extra lighting, upgrading the bathroom to include more accessible toilet and shower facilities, and adding a stair lift to make using the entire home safer and easier.
Get extra help. Seniors recovering from illnesses and injuries often need extra care and assistance after discharge. If you are unable to be in the home with them at all times, get in touch with the elder care agency in your area to hire a caregiver who can be with your parents and provide the level of care they need. Hire this care provider prior to discharge and bring her to the hospital to meet your parents so that they can start getting to know her and feel more comfortable in her care after discharge.

For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Coronado, CA, and the surrounding communities.