Thwarting the Perils of Poor Self-Care After Hospitalization

1. Thwarting the Perils of Poor Self-Care after Hospitalization ‘Hospital Discharge’ no longer implies a complete and safe proposition for senior health and well-being. Frequently, patients need hospital re-admission within a month or two of discharge. This is because there are considerable gaps that exist between a patient’s description of their home environment, their living abilities within it and the actual reality. So they may not recuperate in the desired manner if enough care is not given. Besides, refusing home healthcare services after hospitalization puts patients at higher risk of a difficult, incomplete or slow recovery than anticipated. Need for Geriatric Home Healthcare Need for Geriatric Home Healthcare The following post hospitalization aspects must be considered for ensuring an uneventful discharge of elderly patients - ✔ Clear identification of the patient needs for having a seamless and smooth transition for home-based care. ✔ Determining the most appropriate post-discharge setting that takes care of the patient’s health needs and manages emergencies. ✔ Processing the needs by deploying proper in-home healthcare services which may include elderly nursing care, ordering the necessary care equipment and devising a strategy for follow-up with the concerned physicians and hospitals.

2. Reasons why Seniors refuse Home Healthcare Reasons why Seniors refuse Home Healthcare ➔ Overestimation of their own health status and not foreseeing a valid reason to get medical support ➔ Confusing home healthcare services with homecare aides who render assistance for daily living activities ➔ Fear of dependency ➔ Financial constraints and lack of health insurance ➔ Invasion of privacy as homes are perceived as ‘sacred sanctums’ ➔ Wanting to conceal hoarding and physical neglect by family members ➔ Compromise of cognition skills leading to failure in understanding one’s own needs and limitations Perils of Self-Care after Hospitalization Perils of Self-Care after Hospitalization Self -Care of patients at home exposes them to following precarious conditions- ➔ Issues in Home Environment – senior living-  Poorly lit and distantly located bathrooms, laundry rooms, garbage collection areas, steep staircases and badly maintained garages make seniors prone to trips and falls  Dangers of uneven floor surfaces, suffocating narrow passages, unhygienic and dirty home areas cause infections and low immunity which further hinders ability to independently perform daily routines and increases feeling of isolation. ➔ Cognitive Impairments Issues in Home Environment – Several home design issues pose a threat to safe independent Cognitive Impairments-Many cognitive problems in seniors remain undetected leading to

3. Consumption of wrong medications Overeating or malnutrition, dehydration and sickness because of unhealthy nutrition Failure of rehabilitation and recuperation Irregular schedules for treatment follow-ups with doctors ➔ Threats of Exploitation     Threats of Exploitation – These are faced in encounters with abusers, strangers and internet scammers. ➔ Patient also being care-givers themselves – with the additional responsibility of taking care of other sick family members. ➔ Unknown Addictions and Psychiatric Problems of Patients – drug abuse and self-medication. ➔ Geographical Separation from Family – precautions. Patient also being care-givers themselves – Sometimes patients themselves are burdened Unknown Addictions and Psychiatric Problems of Patients – This poses a strong threat due to Geographical Separation from Family – This leads to negligence in taking healthcare Home Healthcare – A Senior-Centric Rewarding Option Home Healthcare – A Senior-Centric Rewarding Option Senior Home for aiding quick recovery and bringing in substantial improvement in the overall well-being of the elderly. It gives comprehensive medical care through scheduled visits by experienced doctors, physiotherapists and nurses for elderly at home .Other benefits include  Nursing assistance  Home blood sample collection  Medical equipment for sales/rentals  Non-emergency ambulance facilities Healthcare Services are meticulously designed to promote personalized treatment Thus Home Healthcare brings customized patient care to the fingertips of the most deserving population-Elders! Thus Home Healthcare brings customized patient care to the fingertips of the most deserving population-Elders!