If you don’t currently have a plan for if your elderly loved one needs to stay in the hospital, it is time to change that. There are many things that could happen to cause your elderly loved one to be an inpatient at the hospital. While you can hope that these things don’t happen, it is still a good idea to have a plan for if they do. The tips mentioned here today can be good if your elderly loved one needs to stay in the hospital.
Having the Plan
The first thing you need to do is to have a plan. Who will stay at the hospital with your elderly loved one? Is someone going to stay with them when they go home? Who will take care of their medical bills – whether those are private pay or insurance covered? Will your elderly loved one need things from home? Having a plan in place ensures that your elderly loved one doesn’t feel more stressed than they already will be if they are in the hospital. In addition, it allows you and the home care providers to know and be prepared, too.
Getting the Best Advocate
Who is going to be your elderly loved one’s advocate if they need to stay in the hospital? Someone needs to be there to ensure your elderly loved one is getting the best care. There needs to be someone who will talk to the doctor and ensure all tests that are needed will be done. Will this be you? Is there another family member that would be a better advocate for your elderly loved one? Think about this ahead of time, before your elderly loved one needs to stay in the hospital.
Having Comfort in the Hospital
The hospital can be a very uncomfortable place no matter what. If your elderly loved one needs to stay there for more than a day or two, it would be best to have some things there that bring them comfort. For instance, you or a home care provider could bring your loved one their slippers, a favorite pillow, their sleep mask from home, or other things that bring them comfort. If you can help your elderly loved one to feel more comfortable, it is possible that this could help them heal faster.
Conclusion
These are some of the tips that could be helpful if your elderly loved one has to stay in the hospital for any length of time. Some elderly people have to stay in the hospital for months and others only have to stay there for a short period of time. Regardless, if your elderly loved one is going to be in the hospital for more than a couple of days, these tips can help them feel better while they are there.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a Elder Care in Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com
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