Reduce the Risk of Rehospitalization: Transitional Care for Seniors
There’s no place like home, especially if your loved one is recovering from hospitalization.
However, a New England Journal of Medicine study found nearly 20% of seniors are readmitted within 30 days. There are many risk factors for older adults being readmitted, according to a 2023 medical study, but among them are failing to follow discharge instructions, poor nutrition, cognitive impairment and being at high risk of falling.
People with the right support typically recover better and faster at home. With support from Visiting Angels, our transitional care for seniors in Torrance, CA, helps your loved one get better in a comfortable, familiar setting. Besides reducing the risk of rehospitalization, transitional care keeps your loved one engaged and can even reduce loneliness, which can have a serious effect on their health.
Learn more about how Visiting Angels Torrance can ease the transition between hospital and home and how we can help your loved one reduce the likelihood of rehospitalization after returning home.
Why Seniors Recover Better at Home After a Hospital Stay
After surgery or hospitalization for an injury or illness, your senior may want to recover at home instead of in an inpatient facility. While this depends on their condition and how much support they need, recovery at home can be possible for many older adults who don’t require medical support.
According to research conducted by the National Institutes of Health, people usually recover more quickly at home for several reasons:
- Familiar settings. There’s no place like home, especially for older adults. Being in a familiar and comfortable environment can help reduce stress and anxiety. Compared to a nursing home, there’s also less disruption to their routine and level of independence.
- Personalized care as often as needed. A nursing home can’t provide the same level of support that an in-home caregiver like Visiting Angels can. We deliver one-on-one care personalized to your loved one’s changing needs.
- Improved health and quality of life. Being at home instead of a nursing facility can reduce your loved one’s risk of infection and boost their mental health and overall sense of well-being.
- Potential for cost savings. Recovering at home with the help of Visiting Angels is typically less expensive than staying at a nursing home.
Besides guiding your loved one as they make the important transition from hospital to home, our Angels provide much-needed companion care. This helps your senior build a deep relationship, which not only reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation but offers real health benefits.
Older adults who have meaningful relationships:
- Are less likely to develop dementia or cognitive issues, according to a Swedish study
- Have better cardiovascular health
- Report fewer mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression
- Often have healthier behaviors, such as getting outdoors, eating healthy and going on walks
- Have new opportunities to learn and share
Client Testimonial: A Fulfilling Experience with Visiting Angels
"Our Visiting Angels Caregiver, Norfee Evans, has provided outstanding care for my wife, who has both mobility and memory challenges, and peace of mind for me so that I can continue to work without worrying about her. The company has been responsive to any requests or schedule changes and all-in-all has been a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended."
How Transitional Care Helps Keep Your Loved One at Home
Being able to stay at home after being hospitalized can be challenging, especially if your loved one is dealing with a serious medical condition. Some of the top reasons for readmission include:
- Not following hospital discharge instructions
- Forgetting or skipping follow-up medical appointments
- Failing to take medicine as prescribed
- Struggling to manage a medical condition at home
- Being overly tired or eating poorly due to hospitalization disrupting routines
Whatever your loved one’s needs are, Visiting Angels can create a customized senior home care plan that meets them, including personal care that provides transportation to doctor’s appointments, nutritious meals and medication reminders, and fall prevention.
Some of the most common ways we help seniors recovering from hospitalization include:
- Helping your loved one get home after their hospitalization
- Coordinating follow-up medical appointments
- Creating medication reminders
- Ensuring your loved one follows any new dietary restrictions through meal planning and preparation
- Helping with personal care needs, such as grooming, showering, using the toilet and getting dressed
- Taking care of errands to ensure your loved one has the groceries and prescriptions they need
- Making sure your senior follows physical therapy or exercise guidelines, as necessary
- Taking note of any change in mood or mental condition
- Handling light housekeeping needs, such as tidying and laundry, so your loved one can focus on recovery
- Providing assistance with transfers and walking to reduce the risk of falls
- Keeping family and medical professionals up-to-date with progress and any issues that come up
What Our Transitional Care Services Include
Visiting Angels follows a three-prong approach to help your loved one reduce the risk of rehospitalization. Here’s what this approach includes:
- Visting Your Loved One at the Hospital–At your request, we’ll visit your loved one in the hospital and provide them with a copy of our “Ready-Set-Go Home” discharge guide. Before going home, we’ll talk with your loved one about any questions or concerns they may have, including symptoms they should report, when they need to be seen at follow-appointments and any medication or dietary needs.
- Assisting Your Loved One at Home–You’ll have peace of mind knowing your loved one is under our careful and caring supervision. Our home health care aides make sure your loved on is taking medications as prescribed and attending medical appointments. If they’re not, we address issues quickly to ensure your loved one can continue recovering at home. We’re available as often as you need us, including up to 24 hours.
- Supporting Your Loved One from Our Office–Support for your loved one doesn’t end at home. Our office can arrange deliveries for food or medicine, provide medication reminders and accompany your loved one at doctor’s appointments.
Providing Transitional Care for Seniors in Torrance, CA, and Surrounding Areas
We’re proud to help seniors enjoy all the benefits of aging at place, including recovering in the comfort of their own home. Visiting Angels provides transitional care for seniors in Torrance, CA, and surrounding areas, including:
Families like yours across the country have trusted Visiting Angels’ senior care services since 1998 to help their loved ones thrive safely at home.
Request a Free, In-Home Consultation Today for Transitional Care
Whether your loved one has recently been hospitalized or is getting ready to go home, Visiting Angels can make the transition from hospital to home a successful one by reducing the risk of readmission. Ready to learn more? Call us at (424) 772-6604 or contact us online to request a free, in-home consultation. We look forward to meeting you and your loved one, and discussing what a custom care plan might look like.
Serving Torrance and the surrounding areas, including Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Lawndale and Gardena
Visiting Angels TORRANCE, CA
3510 Torrance Blvd #220Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: 424-772-6604
HCO #194700020