Mom Or Dad Back In the Hospital Again?

By Bob Brueckman, Owner

Medicare data shows that nearly one in five patients who leave the hospital are readmitted within the next month and that more than 75% of those readmissions are preventable. When someone leaves a hospital or rehabilitation facility they are usually healthy enough to return home but may still require additional care and recovery time.

Medicare pays for services related to skilled nursing and physical therapy at home if the patient is improving. However, those visits are for specific skilled tasks such as wound care, therapy or other procedures. Unfortunately, Medicare does not pay for home based care and assistance that would help prevent many of the reasons for readmission.

Private home care is available and is usually paid for by the patient or family but may be exactly what is needed to prevent return trips to the hospital. If you have long-term care insurance your policy may cover the cost. Regardless of who pays for it with the right plan of care and supervision services can be provided that greatly improve the chance that a patient will recover at home the first time and not be required to go back for more treatment.

Home care agencies can provide the following to help with recovery

Medication management and supervision to ensure regimen changes are adhered to

Fall prevention to reduce the chance of re-injury

Grocery shopping and preparation of balanced meals

Assistance with personal care which helps prevent infections

Transportation to doctor appointments, tests, and necessary follow up appointments

Reinforcement of life style changes while family members are not at home to assist

Early identification of complications or return of conditions

Assistance with exercises prescribed by therapists

Home care assistance will not prevent all return trips to the hospital but it will greatly reduce the chance that someone needs to go back and/or reduce the length of the required stay if issues are indentified early. The key is the development of a proper plan of care by a registered nurse and periodic supervision to make sure the patient is following the plan.

Home care can be tailored to meet each patient's specific needs from a few hours per day to 24/7. It can last for one day, one week, several months or long term depending on the individual and family. It can also start out with longer shifts and decrease as the patient improves and then be eliminated once they have recovered.