Transitional Home Care: When, Where, Why

Transitional home care can expedite recovery at home for seniors following surgery or illness

Transitioning home from a hospital or transitional care facility after an injury or illness can be a complicated process. On one hand it often feels great to be able to recover in the comfort of home, but there now may also be a host of new physical challenges and limitations, physician-prescribed exercise regimens and medications, and a team of new care providers and future appointments to keep organized. 

At Comfort Keepers we work hard to try and expedite the recovery process for seniors transitioning home from a care facility, and following are just a few common examples of how transitional home care can help: 

1. Transportation
   Often times recovery at home means a full schedule of follow-up appointments and therapy sessions. Comfort Keepers can provide safe and reliable transportation to and from a hospital, clinic, or other facility. Caregivers also stay during these appointments and can be a valuable support to take notes and share follow-up details with family.
    
2. Medication Reminders
   Some seniors already have a detailed regimen for daily medications and introducing new medications as part of recovery can add to the complexity. While a Comfort Keepers caregiver can pick up prescriptions and other supplies, and remind clients to take medications on time, a registered nurse is available to help sort and store medications, assist with reorders, and conduct regular medication check-ups to determine if prescribed medications are effective.
    
3. Companionship
   Recovering at home is comforting, but recovery may also mean putting a hold on normal social activity. Caregivers thrive in providing companionship and helping with meaningful activities to help minimize boredom, frustration, and melancholy. They can also assist with technology to help seniors stay connected with loved ones.
    
4. Monitoring and Communication
   Care coordination across multiple disciplines, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, primary care, and home health, plus family members, is complex. Rooted in transparency of care, Comfort Keepers provides proactive follow-up communication to keep everyone updated on recovery status.
   
   
5. A Helping Hand
   Think of all the little things you do throughout the day that now might require just a little extra help at home. For example, healthy meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, bathing and grooming, taking the dog for a walk, and running errands, just to name a few. Returning home from a hospital or Transitional Care Unit may mean temporary support with day-to-day activities so that you can get back to doing these things independently again; sooner.

Transitional Home Care

At Comfort Keepers we appreciate the deep relationships we build with seniors, earned over time. But we also realize that temporary support through transitional home care creates lasting relationships and memories, and above all helps seniors recover safely in the comfort of home. If you or a loved one have a surgical procedure or illness that results in a hospital or Transitional Care Unit stay, call Comfort Keepers Twin Cities at (651) 796-2540 and a member of our care team can explain how we coordinate transitional home care. 

Let Comfort Keepers help get you home safely after a discharge from a hospital stay, Transitional Care Unit or same day surgery.