Not Prepared but Not Alone

Did a phone call wake you late at night? Or perhaps you were heading into a meeting at work? Now, you’re quickly making your way to the emergency department because Aunt Helen had a fall and may have broken her leg. Or maybe Dad called the ambulance with chest pains and now you’re on the phone with doctors and nurses.

The CDC reports that from 2009-2010, adults aged 65 and older made 19.6 million visits to the emergency department. Regardless if you are there in person, or miles away, there are things that you can do to help your loved one and ensure they receive consistent care. The Family Care Alliance conveys the importance of advocating for the patient and for yourself. They state,

“Effective discharge planning can decrease the chances that your relative is readmitted to the hospital, help in recovery, ensure medications are prescribed and given correctly, and adequately prepare you to take over your loved one’s care.”

Thorough communication as your friend or family member leaves the hospital can help to make a steady progression from one form of care to another. Here are three useful points to consider:

• Hospitals in the US do not have a universal system for discharging patients. Doctors authorize a patient’s release but they are not commonly involved with completing the discharge. Talk to the doctor or nursing staff about who will be completing this task for your loved one. Some hospitals have case managers on staff, others rely on social workers or the nurses themselves. Having a name and phone number will keep you in direct contact with the person in charge of this process, instead of waiting on messages to be relayed.
• Take notes. Surely, you will have many questions but you will also receive many answers. You will probably have conversations with multiple doctors and countless nurses. Writing the information down will help you recall it correctly later, and settle any inconsistencies that may come up. Medicare.gov has also offered a free, printable Discharge Planning Checklist.
• Make contact with the assisted living community that you’ve chosen. When that unexpected hospital stay turns into an unprepared move to an assisted living, Cambrian Senior Living has staff available to help walk you through the process. If you’ve written it down, you can even give them the name and contact information for the person who is handling your loved ones discharge plan.

Jen, whose family member is a resident at Cambrian recently told me about the personal attentiveness she has experienced,
“Throughout my life, I’ve been in many similar types of facilities, but Cambrian was hands down the most impressive. Initially I was blown away by the beautiful building decorated in such peaceful decor. Then, I had interactions with so many kind staff members. I NEVER felt like Eric was a number there. Many people gave him tremendous care.”

Call today to talk to a staff member, schedule a tour or make arrangements. Cambrian Senior Living cares about your loved one, and will help do everything they can to assure a smooth transition from the hospital to the Cambrian community.