You get a call that a loved one is coming home from the hospital after surgery, and questions flood your mind: Will they be safe at home? How will they make it upstairs to go to bed? Can I help them use the restroom at night? Can I afford to take time off of work to get them settled? Are they going to be able to manage new medications? Everything can be a blur after you, or a loved one is discharged from a hospital or surgical center, especially when you factor in weakness, drowsiness, pain, and discomfort. The disorientation after surgery is why planning for post-surgical recovery is so important. Our helpful checklist will ensure you don’t forget something important at home during your hospital stay. The next and most crucial step is advanced planning for Home Health Care Services. Home Health Care can help ensure your post-surgical outcomes are successful.
Preparing for Surgery with a Checklist
Your doctor will give you complete medical directions to follow in the days before surgery. However, we’ve created a checklist that fills in the gaps that fall outside doctor’s orders. Besides considering surgical risks to pain management to recovery time, there are practical and essential things to do as you prepare. Click here for a handy pre-surgery checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Benefits of Home Health Care for Post-Surgical Needs
Healing in your own home is more desirable and beneficial than being transported to an outpatient facility. There’s no place quieter and more comfortable than home to recuperate and achieve adequate restful sleep. From wound care to medication management, these things are challenging to accomplish independently after surgery, so you will need extra assistance to ensure doctors’ orders are followed and thus a successful surgical outcome. It may be tempting to ask a friend or family member to help, but they may not have the medical knowledge and skills, let alone the time to devote to your care. Enlisting professional home health care will prevent additional stress on you or your loved ones, plus unforeseen circumstances leading to poor recovery.
Reduced Infection Rate
One of the most significant risks of prolonged hospitalization is infections, and because the patient may already have reduced resistance, they can be very vulnerable to infection. The CDC estimates that 1.7 million hospital-associated infections contribute to or cause patient deaths each year. While the home is not a perfectly sterile environment, there is a lower concentration of bacteria and less opportunity for spreading infections from patient to patient.
Reduced Readmissions Rates
Studies have found that providing hospital-quality care in the home may reduce health risks and improve patient outcomes. For example, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine stated that home-based patients were less sedentary and suffered fewer infections. As a result, they had lower readmission rates within 30 days than patients admitted to outpatient care. Compared to 23% of traditional hospital patients, only seven percent of at-home patients were re-admitted at 30 days — nearly a 70% reduction. In addition, at-home care can reduce medical costs as the cost of care was almost 40% lower due to the reduced readmissions due to infection, bleeding, or injuries.
Reduced Fall Risk and Better Mobility
Our skilled Physical and Occupational Therapists can deliver therapy services in the comfort and convenience of your own home. As a result, patients will be able to move more quickly and more often at home than in an outpatient facility, thus resulting in quicker rehabilitation. In-home nursing care can also help avoid additional injuries, falls, and subsequent hospital stays, thus ensuring a safer and faster path to full recovery and capacity of your mobility and faculties. In addition, there is no need to think about driving to recurring physical therapy appointments, plus there are no transportation costs.
Medication and Pain Management
Another benefit of home health nursing services is ensuring that the patient is comfortable, safe, and pain-free. In addition, our nurses can manage your medication, thus preventing improper use or missed doses.
Wound Care
Our experienced nurses treat a full range of wounds. Treating them at home means fewer complications, improved patient comfort, accelerated healing and recovery time, reduced time spent changing dressings, and better patient outcomes. In addition, skilled nurses can assist the patient regarding foods and diets that help promote faster wound healing and advise on activities that may or may not be appropriate at various stages of wound recovery.
Expert Skilled Nursing Services We Provide
In-home health care can involve various services from different types of health care professionals and can be customized depending on your post-operative needs. Depending on the type of surgery you are having, as directed or recommended by your health providers, you can arrange for a single type of care or a combination, anywhere from a few days or weeks or more. Home health nurses are liaisons between the patient, caregiver, and the medical team overseeing the recovery. Having this type of post-surgery support is key to reducing recovery time and helping the patient return to everyday life quickly. Skilled nursing services also include: following physician’s and hospital’s discharge orders, monitoring your post-operative care, and reporting progress to your doctor and hospital.
Additional Caregiving Services
Our caregivers can also provide additional non-medical services: they can accompany patients to follow-up doctor visits and provide bathing, dressing, light housekeeping, meal prep, companionship, and other services.
The wide range of friendly and qualified healthcare professionals from Assisted Home Health can provide medical services and ensure your personal needs are met in the comfort of your own home for as long as desired or required. As a Home Care Elite Agency, Assisted has earned the trust of thousands of families who needed help after a hospital stay or during an extended illness. If your loved one needs post-surgery assistance in their home, Assisted Healthcare Services can help. For more information, please get in touch with our award-winning team at (800) 949-6555 or www.AssistedCares.com.
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