When anyone is hospitalized, recovery is something that now looms in their future. Depending on the person’s age, their health status before the hospitalization, and numerous other factors, recovery could take days, weeks, or months. In some cases, it might even take years.
For older individuals (seniors to be more precise), recovery will often take longer and can be a bit more difficult and challenging than it would be for somebody in their 20s or 30s, for example.
When a person is discharged and sent home, they might go to a nursing home for a week or two first, but when they finally get the opportunity to return home for good, it’s important that they be diligent in not just recovery process, but also staying safe.
Keep in mind that the longer a person of advancing years spends in the hospital, the more likely they have lost strength, most commonly in their legs first, but also in their arms, back, and other parts of their body.
Due to this, managing fall risks becomes crucial as they might face challenges with balance, making them susceptible to slips, difficulties in rising from a chair, or navigating stairs.
Let’s offer a few safety tips for seniors following a hospital stay so they can avoid the prospect of a readmission:
Safety Tip #1: Rely on adequate support.
What does it mean to be ‘adequate’ support? It means experienced, available when the senior needs it, somebody the elderly person can count on when it matters most. Family and friends, including a spouse, adult children, and even neighbors might be great for support, but are they adequate? Are they enough?
An in-home care agency that has experienced caregivers can offer better help because they can be there for an hour or two in the morning when the senior wakes up, for an hour or so in the afternoon, and maybe even an hour or so in the evening to help them get ready for bed.
Safety Tip #2: Don’t overdo it.
When a person is discharged from the hospital, they often feel a lot better than they did during the first hours or days there. Because they start to feel better when they are discharged, they may have a tendency to overdo things. They try and do too much.
This can be extremely problematic for the recovery. Whether it was for pneumonia, heart attack or stroke, or even injuries from slip and fall accident, the senior should avoid overdoing things at all costs.
This is also where an in-home care aide can make a big difference because they be there to help the senior avoid overdoing it.
Safety Tip #3: Follow doctor’s advice.
If the doctor has recommended physical therapy, the senior should participate. If the doctor has told the senior to get solid cardiovascular exercise for at least 15 minutes a day, the elderly person should follow through.
When they heed their doctor’s advice, when they avoid overdoing it, and when they have the best, experienced in-home care support there with them when they need it most, they will increase the chances of recovery and reduce the risk of having to be readmitted to the hospital.
If you or an aging loved one are considering in-home care for fall risk management in Fort Lee, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Applause Home Care today. Call (201) 326-8051
Applause Home Care provides independent, non-franchised quality Home Care for elders and families in and around Fort Lee, Hackensack, Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Paramus, Glen Rock, Pompton Plains, Franklin Lakes, Westwood, Montvale, and Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
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