Guest Blog: Home Helpers – 5 Ways In-Home Care May Prevent Another Hospital Stay
Do you know anyone who enjoys being hospitalized? I don’t! During my days as a hospital Chief Marketing Officer, our team created a tagline for our health system: For People Who Don’t Like Hospitals. We focused on addressing patients’ fears and concerns by creating a welcoming, nurturing, and safe environment.
As owner of Home Helpers Home Care of Hinsdale, we have developed a similar culture. We strive to follow our core values of respect, integrity, compassion, and excellence. Our team of more than 100 Caregivers and Office Staff are rated #1 in Illinois for client and Caregiver satisfaction.
At Home Helpers, preventing hospital stays and readmissions is a top priority. Patients want to avoid it, families find it stressful, and hospitals may not be paid if the readmission is for the same issue.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), about one out of every five patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within 30 days. Hospital readmissions are costly, putting the patient at risk for further complications and costing the industry billions annually.
In-home care offers a wide range of services that can help patients recover after hospital discharge, helping to reduce the chance of readmission.
- MEDICATION COMPLIANCE: Taking the right dosage at the right time is the best way to ensure medication can work properly, while protecting against adverse side effects, preventable illness, readmission to the hospital, and even death. Caregivers can assist with medication reminders, prescription pick up, and meal preparation for medications that must be taken with food.
- NUTRITION & HYDRATION: Upon discharge, your doctor may put you on a special diet to help you recover. Proper hydration is also important in helping to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, and eliminate waste products from the body. Whatever your nutritional needs are, Caregivers can help plan, shop, cook, and serve a menu that meets and maintains your dietary requirements.
- IN-HOME SAFETY ASSESSMENTS: Conducting an in-home safety assessment is an easy way to reduce the risk of falls once the patient returns home. We offer a free, no- obligation home safety consultation to assess your home environment and recommend what you can do to make your home safer, such as removal of trip hazards and installation of grab bars.
- FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS: Whether your hospital stay was scheduled or unexpected, follow-up visits to physicians and other care professionals are often necessary to ensure compliance to the discharge care plan. Caregivers can provide transportation to and from follow-up appointments.
- REAL-TIME MONITORING & FALL DETECTION: Advances in personal emergency response systems (PERS) have transformed home care, helping to reduce 90-day hospital readmissions by 68%, emergency encounters by 49%, and hospitalization costs by 31%. Our Direct Link® powered by Aloe Care offers wearable and voice-activated devices equipped with automatic fall detection.
Hiring a trusted partner on your discharge journey can help you avoid hospital readmission, which can lead to a healthier, longer life.
Brian Davis is Owner of Home Helpers of Hinsdale, supported by his wife Dominica, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a team of 100+ Caregivers and Office Staff. For more information: www.HomeHelpersHomeCare.com/Hinsdale or call 630.323.7231.
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Brian P. Davis Owner p. 630.323.7231 | f. 630.323.7241 w. www.HomeHelpersHomeCare.com/Hinsdale a. 123 E. Ogden Ave, Ste 203 | Hinsdale, IL, 60521Rated #1 in Illinois! |
