Coming home from the hospital should feel like a relief, not the beginning of a new set of worries. For many seniors, the transition from hospital to home brings mixed emotions—gratitude for recovery paired with anxiety about losing independence. Family members and caregivers face their own challenge: how to provide necessary post hospital care while respecting their loved one’s autonomy and dignity.

Start with Honest Conversations

Before a loved one even leaves the hospital, it’s important to have an open discussion about expectations and concerns. Ask what kind of help they want and what feels overwhelming to them.

Some seniors worry about becoming a burden, while others fear losing control over their daily routines. Understanding their specific anxieties enables the support team to tailor their approach from the outset.

Additionally, it’s important to talk with them about what post hospital care and home care services are available to them, ensuring they understand the services are meant to help them recover and maintain their independence.

Collaborative Post Hospital Care Plans

Instead of taking over, it’s important to involve loved ones in planning their recovery. Review discharge instructions together and ask for their input on how to implement them. If they need to take medication three times daily, work together to figure out a system that fits their routine rather than imposing a rigid schedule.

It’s also important to let them maintain control over decisions that don’t affect their safety. Can they choose what to have for lunch? When to shower? Which television programs to watch?

Preserving decision-making power in small areas helps maintain their sense of independence.

Implement Graduated Independence

This is where the home care conversation comes in again. When told home care might be needed as part of the post hospital care plan, many seniors don’t realize that home care offers various levels.

Helping them understand this and explaining that the care will adapt to their needs can make them more receptive to the extra help. For instance, it might be necessary to start with closer monitoring, such as in-home care, and gradually decrease what is needed as the senior regains confidence and strength.

Focus on Safety Without Surveillance

Safety is paramount, but constant hovering can feel suffocating. Instead of watching every move, create environmental safeguards. Install grab bars, improve lighting, remove trip hazards, and ensure medical alert systems are in place.

These modifications provide security without making your loved one feel watched. It might also help ease loved ones’ anxiety to establish check-in routines. Regular phone calls or brief visits can provide peace of mind for everyone without feeling intrusive.

Respect Privacy and Routine

Hospital stays disrupt normal routines, and returning home offers a chance to reestablish familiar patterns. It’s important that families encourage seniors to resume activities they enjoy, even if they need modifications.

Additionally, it’s essential to maintain their privacy whenever possible. Knock before entering rooms, ask permission before rearranging their belongings, and respect their personal space and schedule preferences.

Recovery isn’t linear, and some days will be better than others. By paying attention to a loved one’s wants and needs and explaining how post hospital care might be enhanced with added support, seniors will be well on their way to recovery.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Post Hospital Care in Burlingame, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care today at (415) 463-1400

Aviva In-Home Care provides exceptional senior home care in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hillsborough, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Lafayette, Orinda, and surrounding areas.

Sources:

• https://www.ncoa.org/article/tips-for-recovering-after-being-hospitalized-with-acute-illness/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9597142/
• https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/info-2021/transition-from-hospital-rehab-home.html
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/post-hospital-syndrome-tips-to-keep-yourself-or-a-loved-one-healthy-after-hospitalization-2019012315830

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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