Post-Hospitalization Recovery: How to care for your loved ones after a hospital admission
When a person has been admitted to the hospital, often the focus is on treating the patient's condition. Care teams work on the medical procedure and treatment plans. What is often forgotten is the care needed after discharge from the hospital. Careful post-hospitalization care is required to avoid post-hospital syndrome and consequent re-hospitalization.
Harvard Health defines post-hospital syndrome to be a period of vulnerability that patients experience after discharge from the hospital. Older adults are especially at risk of re-hospitalization due to causes separate from the original cause of hospitalization. Hospital stays disrupt regular diet, sleep patterns, routines and activity levels. Additionally there can be side-effects of medications and weakness or restricted mobility after surgery.
Fortunately steps can be taken to ensure healthy recovery after hospitalization.
How can the effects of post-hospital syndrome be minimized?
In order to effectively deal with post-hospitalization syndrome, a holistic approach is required. The patient has to be supported in all aspects of their life so that they can transition back to their normal routines.
Areas which require continued support at home include:
1. Transportation:
After having undergone a medical procedure, people may not be able to drive for a period of time. But travel may be necessary for follow up appointments, errands, social events or just an outing.
Options: If your loved one has access to a mobile phone, they can use ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft. Otherwise, they can call local taxi services.
Mobility Assistance: Though taxi services are convenient, they are not able to make multiple stops while out. With mobility assistance, your loved one has a dedicated driver who not only drives them to a medical appointment, but also stops at the grocery store or picks up a prescription after the appointment. Mobility assistants can help with mobility aids and make as many stops as required making outings as convenient as having your own car.
2. Housekeeping
It is often said that a clean living space improves mental health and having a clutter-free, organized space is not only good for mental health but also for reducing any mobility issues. To make sure the living space is easily navigable, you can clear up the house before your loved one is discharged from the hospital and do weekly cleanup to maintain cleanliness. However, regular cleaning along with other caregiving duties can become overwhelming. Hiring a housekeeper to come in once or twice a week can reduce some of the burden.
Options: Hiring privately. Tuktu offers light housekeeping as well as deep cleaning services starting at $30/hr.
3. Meal Preparation
Eating a healthy, nourishing diet is important to aid recovery after hospitalization. Meal planning and cooking is a long process which can be tiring immediately after discharge. Getting takeout regularly is unhealthy and expensive, and it may not cater to dietary restrictions. However, there are several services which make eating at home easier.
Meal kits: Meal preparation kits can be tailored to a number of dietary requirements. The ingredients come pre-measured and have recipe cards cutting down on the time required to meal prep. Using a meal kit is convenient but involves more personal participation with cooking and cleaning up.
Options: GoodFood, HelloFresh, ChefsPlate, Plant Prepped. Prices differ based on serving size.
Meal preparation service: This service sends a caregiver who comes to the client’s home to cook for them. The caregiver can prepare a meal plan with dietary requirements in mind, as well as taking care of shopping for groceries and cleaning up. Although more expensive than meal kits, personal involvement is only required in the initial stages when creating a meal plan. Afterwards the caregiver can come, prepare and store food at your desired frequency.
Options: Hiring privately or hiring Tuktu’s trusted kitchen assistants starting at just $25/hr.
4. Personal Support
Personal care support helps with all daily activities. These include grooming, toileting, wound care and medication reminders. Personal care workers maintain open lines of communication with medical professionals and other caregivers, ensuring your loved one is completely taken care of while recovering.
Options: Look into government and private options for personal support workers for post-hospitalization recovery.
5. Overnight care
Care can be required if the person needs to take medication or go to the bathroom at night. Having someone present throughout the night reduces fall risks and ensures mental and physical support.
Options:
Asking family or a trusted person: This is often the first choice. The caregiver can help with drinking water, reminding them to take medicines and helping with mobility. However, if the caregiver has been providing care during the day or has other work during the day, providing nighttime care can lead to burn out.
Hiring an overnight care attendant: Hiring a personal support worker or care aide can be a helpful respite for the primary caregiver. The attendant can simply be present for any emergency situation or take on a more active role by monitoring the patient, helping with medications and mobility.
Look into government and private options to find the option best suited for the needs of your loved one. Take a look at Tuktu’s certified overnight attendants with prices as low at $35/hr.
These support services can be helpful for a person’s post-hospitalization recovery. An individual may not require help in all areas but assessing their needs and providing help for the areas which require support can lead to a quicker and safer recovery with less chances of re-hospitalization.
