Home Care After Hospital Discharge: How Professional Caregivers Ensure a Safe Recovery

Why Home Care After Hospital Discharge is Essential

Your aging mom is recovering from an unexpected surgery. 

The hospital is ready to discharge her, but your dad is too frail to safely take care of her at home.

You want to help… but you live more than an hour away, have a demanding job and a busy family – so, there’s no way you can’t be her full-time caregiver.  

What can you do?

The Challenges of Post-Hospital Recovery for Seniors

“We work with a lot of families who are in similar situations. They’re eager for their loved ones to return home, recover and resume normal routines, but they aren’t prepared for the challenges that come with the hospital to home transition,” said Sierra Goetz, co-founder and operations director at the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). “For those families, home care after a hospital discharge is a great option.”

Services Offered by Home Care Providers After Hospital Discharge

Our highly trained professional caregivers can help with recovery, improve the quality of life, and ensure discharge instructions are followed. Services include:

Transportation for Follow-Up Appointments and Therapy

After a hospital stay, there likely will be prescriptions to pick up, therapy sessions to attend and follow-up doctor’s appointments. Whether it’s coordinating rides or providing safe transportation, we’ll make sure your senior gets to and from wherever they need to be. 

Medication Management to Avoid Complications

Even under the best of circumstances, managing multiple medications can be challenging. A caregiver can help ensure the right meds are taken at the right time. 

Light Housekeeping to Maintain a Clean Environment

Everyday tasks can be difficult after a hospital stay. We can help with laundry, vacuuming and other household chores.

Nutritious Meals for a Faster Recovery

Healthy, well-balanced meals are essential for a good recovery. A caregiver can assist  with grocery shopping, meal prep, kitchen clean-up and more. 

Mobility Assistance to Prevent Falls

Our caregivers are trained to help seniors safely get in and out of chairs, bed and the bathtub/shower. They will also look for and remove potential tripping hazards that could lead to falls.

Personal Care to Support Hygiene and Daily Tasks

Bathing, toileting and dressing can be challenging during the hospital to home transition.   Our compassionate caregivers can help with these types of personal care tasks – giving everyone much needed peace of mind. 

Companionship and Emotional Support During Recovery

Oftentimes, companionship is the best medicine. From watching old movies to playing board games, our caregivers love spending quality time with our clients. 

Why Choose HCAN for Home Care After Hospital Discharge?

“Depending on the situation, you may have several weeks to plan for discharge or you may only have a day or two,” Steinfatt said. “Whatever the case, our care team will work closely with you to develop a customized care plan to meet your loved one’s unique hospital to home needs.”

For more information about HCAN and our service, visit hcanthrive.com or call your local HCAN-supported office.