Preparing
for Transitional Care
Buddy Up!
Feeling
secure and cared for when you return home after a medical emergency assists in
your recovery and required some planning today.
Fifteen percent of all discharges result in re-hospitalization due to
lack of discharge planning by hospital staff and patients alike. Talk with your friends and family. Let’s
buddy-up and agree to care for each other. And remember, every patient has the right to refuse discharge until they can be
returned home safely.
·
Think.
Plan ahead. Talk with friends. BUDDY UP!
·
Complete
essential legal documents: Trust, will, Advanced Health Care Directive (aka
Power of Attorney for Health Care) and a “springboard” Financial Power of
Attorney (only goes into effect once the patient/client lacks capacity to make
their own decisions).
·
Do
you have a Long Term Care Insurance policy to help pay for home care or
extended skilled nursing care?
·
Due
to Federal HIPPA regulations (re: confidentiality), consider having medical
information release forms signed and filed with your doctor.
·
Mail
or email your Advanced Health Care Directive to your attorney, doctor, and
local hospital today, asking them to keep them on file and in your chart.
·
Keep
your medical records current and available, including information on updated medications.
(Is your File of Life on refrigerator
for first responders?)
·
Make
arrangements for who will take care of the following needs:
o
If
it’s a 911 call that takes you to the hospital, who’ll clean up any mess before
you return home? Put clean sheets on your bed? (Who now has a key to your
home?)
o
After
a long stay in the hospital, who’ll clear out your refrigerator and stock it
with fresh, healthy and easy to prepare foods?
o
Who’ll
collect your mail (and email?) and go through it for bills and time sensitive
information?
o
Who
can pay your bills (springboard financial Power of Attorney)?
o
Who
loves animals and can take care of and feed your pet(s)?
o
Do
you have a friend or neighbor who can water your garden and/or houseplants?
o
Who
is available to transport you safely from the hospital to home? (Someone should
spend the first night or two with you.)
o
Can
they pick up your medications and medical supplies before you come home or
immediately after?
o
Who
will know which family, fiends and neighbors to call to let them know you’ve
been hospitalized?
o
Who
knows which friends and family you’ll want as visitors (and those you won’t
want to see) and can be your gatekeeper?
o
Who
has the ability to become your medical advocate both during and after a
hospitalization? They should talk with
the hospital discharge planner early in your hospital stay.
o
Can
they oversee the installation or delivery of durable medical equipment (DME)?
o
Who
understands Medicare and/or MediCal and can assist you throughout your illness?
o
Do
you know someone who can assist or oversee setting up services such as In Home
Support Services (IHSS), Visiting Nurses, Hospice, etc. before you’re
discharged from the hospital?
o
Who’d
be good as your social networking hub for disseminating information about your
recovery as the days and weeks pass?
o
Can
someone coordinate meals for the first days or weeks once you’re home?
o
Who’s
comfortable assisting with medications and medical assistance such as changing
bandages, cleaning wounds, etc?
o
Do
you have an emergency savings tucked away that they can access for groceries,
medications, medical supplies, pet food, during the first days back home?
At
the end of the day your safety is paramount. Help others help you by
communicating requests and agreeing to reciprocal and shared
responsibilities. Let’s build a
supportive network of caring LGBT seniors in our 60+ program and our LGBT
community.
Other
resources on the internet to assist coordination of care:
·
Share
the Care - http://www.sharethecare.org/
·
Lots
of Helping Hands - http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/ltc/home/