When You Doubt the Time Is Right for Discharge

ShannonM

over 1 year ago

One more thought: there are a million tiny things it is hard to anticipate re: what will be needed after a hospital stay (or even outpatient surgery). A friend recently described bringing her husband home after surgery--she thought she had it all covered-she took off work, had food stocked, therapy/home health set up, etc. She didn't think about the immediate hours after arriving home--she had to go pick up the pain medications and he was too woozy to be left alone. And, he was very unsteady and she felt unsure about assisting him in and out of bed. You may need to take friends and family up on that help they offer. Or, private duty home care companies can fill that gap--many offer "transitions of care" or discharge programs. Feel free to contact me for more info. on "Limitations of Medicare coverage"/Discharge tips: www.easyliving.com.

ShannonM

over 1 year ago

This is an important issue to point out, especially as family members often don't know they have options. Sometimes, an advocate such as a geriatric care manager (www.caremanager.org) can be useful as well. They know the rules, regs, options and ins and outs of the medical and care systems. Plus, having a professional involved can be helpful because, 1. This can be an emotional time for the family and it is easy to become frustrated, 2. A professional to professional conversation may be more effective: the GCM knows the system, options and can explain the concerns in terminology of the medical professionals. They know the pressure the hospital is under (esp. the discharge planner) and may be able to articulate concerns and steps being taken, to assure them plans are being made and to be liaison between parties. Another point I would make is that it is important for families to be proactive and anticipate discharge. We often hear from family members who have a loved one in the hospital and they say "We haven't been told anything about discharge so we'll wait and see what happens". Now is the time to be assessing concerns and learning about options/making plans. This will help reduce the feeling of pressure--much nicer to have a couple days to review potential rehab. options or interview care providers than a couple of hours. Discharge will happen sooner than later! Shannon Martin, Aging Wisely, LLC www.agingwisely.com