Though hospitals tend to be safe spaces that offer a decreased chance of anything bad happening to aging adults, the potential for some sort of accident still exists. The best way to prevent an unsafe hospital experience for your elderly loved one is to be prepared for anything that may come up. Here are a few tips for ensuring a safe hospital visit for your senior loved one.
Keep Medical Information Handy
It can be a challenge to remember all your loved one’s medications, allergies, and health conditions in the middle of a stressful medical emergency. Especially in an emergency situation, your loved one may not even be visiting his or her regular hospital. Keep an updated list of your parent’s pertinent medical information in an easy-to-access location. There are medical information toolkits available online to help you gather and organize all the information you’ll need if your loved one has to go to the hospital.
Keeping track of your loved one’s conditions and medications can be challenging, and a home caregiver can be a fantastic source of support. Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted elder care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help.
Inform Hospital Staff of Behavioral Issues
If your loved one has cognitive decline due to a condition such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, make sure to let the nurses and other hospital staff know so they’ll understand the reasons for any unique behavior your loved one may exhibit and how to respond. This can include things such as meal preferences, communication strategies, and agitation triggers. You should also let the hospital staff know about any safety concerns, such as wandering and frequent falls. The hospital can use bed alarms and other devices to keep your loved one safe.
Caring for a senior loved one can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. The type of home care Fort Lauderdale seniors need can vary. Some need assistance a few hours a day, while others require more extensive around-the-clock assistance. At Assisting Hands Home Care, we tailor our care plans based on each senior’s individual care needs, and the plans can be adjusted at any time.
Be Present
A hospital visit could be very disorienting for your loved one, but your familiar presence can be reassuring and keep him or her calm. You may find it necessary to provide frequent reminders about what’s happening to ease your loved one’s confusion.
Facilitate Communication
The disorientation caused by an unfamiliar environment, illness, or medication could make it difficult for your loved one to communicate clearly, and the stress of answering questions from the hospital staff can cause outbursts of anger from your loved one. Be prepared to fill in the communication gaps between your loved one and hospital staff if need be.
Arrange for Around-the-Clock Supervision
Aging adults, especially those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, are at increased risk for falls and other injuries while they’re in the hospital. Nurses and aides will do everything possible to keep your loved one safe. However, they may not be able to be with your loved one every hour of every day. Try to work out a schedule with family and friends or hire a part-time caregiver so someone can be with your loved one at all times.
After your loved one returns home from the hospital, he or she may need 24/7 home care. If your senior loved one needs around-the-clock assistance at home, the Fort Lauderdale, FL, live-in care professionals at Assisting Hands Home Care are here to help. Our caregivers promote longevity by encouraging seniors to focus on healthy eating, regular exercise, mental engagement, and other important lifestyle factors. Call us today to discuss how we can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one is being cared for with professionalism and compassion.
