Post-Hospital Care

What is Post-Hospital Care​?

When older people are discharged from a hospital or rehabilitation facility, properly managing the transition home is essential for a safe and effective recovery.

Post-Hospital Care: Recover Safely at Home

When older people are discharged from a hospital or rehabilitation facility, properly managing the transition home is essential for a safe and effective recovery.

Family members and loved ones often try to provide assistance, which can certainly be valuable. However, they do not have the proper training to administer professionally sound care. Despite their best efforts, sometimes they inadvertently do more harm than good, especially when they aren’t familiar with treating acute conditions or remaining vigilant for warning signs.

Post-hospital care regimens can indeed be complicated and demanding.

In our experience, hospital readmissions often occur due to failing to follow the doctor’s instructions. This isn’t anyone’s fault: medical terms can be difficult to understand, and it can be challenging to remember and implement every directive.

Post-hospital care services with South West Care Services Pty Ltd alleviate those concerns. Our caregivers and registered nurses are fully qualified and undergo rigorous training to deliver expert care during this critical recovery period. South West Care Services Pty Ltd approach to post-hospital care promotes healing for the patient and reduces stress for their family members, ensuring the discharge home is a smooth and effective transition.

Safe recovery includes:

Hospital Discharge - collaborate with hospital discharge planners and social workers to develop a tailored care plan for a successful recovery. A robust support plan for the transition home is an effective strategy for managing post-hospital recovery risk.

Consistent Care - post-hospital care recipients have the same caregiver for several consecutive days. This consistent arrangement facilitates a stronger bond, allowing seniors to relax and trust they’re in the best hands for recovery.

Light Housekeeping - Older people recovering from a recent hospital stay typically need to limit their physical activity following discharge. That’s why our care team handles light housekeeping tasks such as laundry, making the bed and changing the sheets.

Medication Supervision - We ensure that medication schedules are organised and that care recipients take the correct medications in the exact dosages as prescribed.

Meal Preparation - Our support workers handle meal planning, shopping, cooking and cleanup to ensure post-hospital care recipients eat healthy (and tasty) meals during their recovery.

Rehabilitation - Occupational and physical therapists often prescribe older people at-home physiotherapy exercises to aid their recovery, which our support worker can supervise while providing assistance and encouragement.

Monitoring Warning Signs - We know what warning signs to watch during transition care. If we notice a care recipient’s progress stalling or slipping backwards, we take immediate action to prevent complications, setbacks and other issues that could trigger hospital readmission.

Progress Notes - Our support workers diligently record progress, milestones, and significant events in a logbook. Clients can then share this information with other health professionals on their medical team to ensure the care plan is working as expected.

Medical Appointment Coordination - We arrange transport for our clients and accompany them to and from their appointments.

Tips on Avoiding Hospital Readmission

There are many health risks to actively manage during the post-hospital recovery process. When left unaddressed, these risks can either prolong the recovery period or contribute to the care recipient’s condition worsening.

To avoid hospital readmission during transition care, it’s essential to carefully manage common risks, which include:

• Not taking medications as prescribed
• Missing medical follow-up appointments
• Poor nutrition
• Not performing the recommended rehabilitation exercises
• Dehydration
• Fall hazards around the home
• Driving a car too soon

Some health conditions also require more skilled care than others to ensure the care recipient’s health does not worsen. These include, but are not limited to, pneumonia, incontinence, diabetes, post-stroke recovery, heart conditions, and neurological disorders such as dementia, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

If you need additional support beyond post-hospital care at home, please contact us today and learn about our range of services and all of the options available to you and your family.

Why should you choose South West Care Services?

• We adapt to your needs
• We prioritise continuity of care
• We respect your time.
• We are a registered NDIS provider ensuring we meet the NDIS Practice Standards while providing services 
• We work with you to provide service at your convenience from Sydney CBD to Greater Sydney
• Our support workers are experienced and are trained regularly to meet the NDIS Practice standard.