Local Experts Encourage Families To Take Action To Help Keep Seniors Out Of The Hospital
AUBURN, Calif. – As the greater Sacramento area plunges into the heart of the winter season, the risk of local seniors being hospitalized spikes to its highest of the year, despite the fact that almost half of these hospitalizations (49 percent) can be avoided with proper prevention.* According to a new study of nurses who work primarily with seniors, January, February and March are the height of hospitalization season for seniors due primarily to respiratory infections, such as flu or pneumonia, and other winter hazards.
The critical factor in reducing this spike in area hospitalizations this winter is family involvement. Nearly all nurses (99 percent) surveyed say that the role families play in keeping seniors out of the hospital is just as important as the role of the medical community.
Knowing that a hospital stay can actually lead to more serious health declines, local senior care experts are mounting an informational campaign to educate families and decrease hospitalizations so that seniors may remain at home and healthy year-round.
“Keeping seniors safe at home and out of the hospital starts with family intervention,” said Buck Shaw, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care® franchises serving Sacramento, Auburn, El Dorado Hills, and all surrounding areas. “It could be as simple as making sure your parents are using assistive equipment to avoid falls or suggesting they see a doctor for any new aches or symptoms.”
The most common action by seniors that puts them at risk of hospitalization is waiting too long to seek medical attention, according to the nurses surveyed. They estimate that nearly half of all seniors (47 percent) put off medical appointments or have problems accessing medical care.
“Not following doctor’s orders also puts seniors at risk,” Shaw said. “Families play a critical role in making sure they fully understand and comply with medical instructions.”
To help families identify and act on potential warning signs, Home Instead Senior Care is offering The Five Ways to Prevent Senior Hospitalizations guide, that was developed with Dr. Carolyn Clevenger, incoming president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association. The free guide includes information about common risk factors and the steps that families can take to help ensure a healthy lifestyle.
The recommendations include:
- Make sure the senior is taking preventative health measures – like getting a flu shot or shingles vaccination
- Encourage the use of assistive equipment
- Monitor and/or assist with medications
- Attend doctor’s visits and be a medical advocate for your senior
- Assess your senior’s balance
- Make sure your senior is able to safely drive
- Check in on aging loved ones regularly
Additional free resources can be found at www.preventseniorhospitalizations.com. To obtain a copy of the Five Ways to Prevent Senior Hospitalizations guide, please call (530) 885-3904.
*Home Instead, Inc. completed telephone interviews with a random sample of 400 nurses who work with seniors in North America. The nurses surveyed work in the following community-based settings: hospitals; doctor offices and clinics; adult day care; and home health companies.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network provides personalized care, support and education to help enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, Home Instead is the world’s leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises that are estimated to annually provide more than 50 million hours of care throughout the United States and 16 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 65,000 CAREGivers℠ worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. The Home Instead Senior Care network strives to partner with each client and his or her family members to help meet that individual’s needs. Services span the care continuum – from providing companionship and personal care to specialized Alzheimer’s care and hospice support, to offering family caregiver education and support. At Home Instead Senior Care, it’s relationship before task, while striving to provide superior quality service.