Managing a loved one’s care can be stressful at any time, but crises like emergency room visits, falls and hospitalizations are especially stressful for elder caregivers.  There is a lot of information (and decisions usually) to navigate during such situations and you may feel very harried. 

Good communication with providers will help the process flow more smoothly.  Not having success getting information from a loved one’s providers?  Running in to stumbling blocks regarding patient privacy laws and hospital policies?  You should grab a copy of our “Getting Answers about a Loved One’s Care” tip sheet. 

The importance of using checklists to ensure consistent, quality care has been a topic of interest in recent years (see an article in Science Daily about use of checklists and the other steps that must be taken to ensure a checklist makes a difference in patient safety).  Nowhere is this potentially more important than in the transition process.  As a caregiver, using your own discharge planning checklist can provide you a mechanism for ensuring you get questions answered, and have the necessary resources to provide a better transition for your loved one.

Aging Wisely’s geriatric care managers serve as patient advocates for many families.  If you are facing an eldercare crisis or dealing with hospitalization concerns right now, we are here to help.  We can help caregivers who live in the Tampa Bay area or those with loved ones here who live afar, to execute your discharge planning checklist, navigate the healthcare system and find elder care and post-discharge resources.  Contact us at 888-807-2551.