So your mom or dad is being released from the hospital. In a very real sense, now is when the hard work begins.
They could go into a nursing home, a rehabilitation center, or an assisted living facility, but what they want is to go home. Unfortunately, they’re in no position to take care of themselves, and you have a limited amount of time to put into caretaking.
The challenge is a serious one. Nearly one in five Medicare patients find themselves back in the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. Sometimes the causes are unavoidable, of course, but not always:
- Patients sometimes forget to take their medications or get confused about their medication schedule.
- Patients don’t always eat properly, because they forget, they’re not hungry, or they’re unable to negotiate their way around the kitchen.
- Patients don’t always drink enough water.
- Patients don’t always follow through with exercises or other aspects of their therapy. Sometimes they forget; other times they just need encouragement.
- Patients sometimes feel sad and depressed and isolate themselves from others.
Fortunately, these are the challenges Stay at Home specializes in overcoming. As the leading providers of companion care, we will be there to ensure that your loved one is taking their medications on the right schedule, eating and drinking properly, and keeping up with their routine.
We will also be there to provide companionship and friendly encouragement. After all, one of the most effective antidotes to sadness is a friend to talk with regularly.
Please keep in mind that your choices are not just between taking your parent to a nursing home or leaving them home alone. With a companion care service, you not only have a solution that costs less than a live-in facility; you also have one that will give your loved one what they want: a life at home.