18 Hospital Tips for Seniors (From Insiders)

These tips from insiders will help keep your loved one safe in the hospital.

As a caregiver, your role becomes even more crucial when your loved one is in the hospital. It’s a stressful and vulnerable time, but your presence and advocacy are their greatest assets. Knowing a few key secrets from those who work inside hospital walls can transform your experience from one of anxiety to one of empowered action. Discover these 18 practical ways…

Medicare Hospital Coverage: Inpatient vs Observation Status

Hospital inpatient vs. observation status determines the Medicare coverage for hospital stays, nursing home rehab, and how much is paid out-of-pocket

Hospital status determines out-of-pocket medical costs When they’re in the hospital, it’s essential to know your older adult’s hospital status.  That’s because hospital status affects their out-of-pocket medical costs and eligibility for Medicare coverage of post-hospital nursing home stays. By law, hospitals are required to notify patients that they might have to pay huge out-of-pocket costs if they stay more than 24…

The Ultimate Hospital Discharge Checklist For Seniors

A hospital discharge planning checklist can help usher in a successful recovery

The most dangerous part of a hospital stay often isn’t the surgery or the illness – it’s the transition home. A rushed or unclear discharge can lead to confusion, medication errors, and a fast return to the hospital. But this risk is largely preventable. With the proper preparation, you can turn a potentially stressful discharge into a smooth launchpad for a successful…

4 Ways to Know If Seniors Need to Return to the Hospital

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How to know if recovery is going well or not After a hospitalization, the last thing anyone wants is for your older adult to have to return to the hospital. But recovery doesn’t always go smoothly and seniors could suddenly take a turn for the worse. If that happens, it’s important to go back to the hospital for immediate medical attention. There…

Dementia and Hospital Stays: 9 Ways to Reduce Agitation and Stress

Make Hospital Visits Easier on Seniors with Dementia

Hospitals can bring out challenging dementia behavior Dementia and hospital stays are not a good combination. Hospitals are noisy, confusing environments that are full of strange people, bright lights, and reflective surfaces. On top of that, your older adult isn’t feeling well or is in pain and they’re being constantly touched, questioned, and poked. For someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, all of…

4 Essential Hospital Discharge Facts That Caregivers Must Know

hospital discharge

It’s stressful when your older adult is in the hospital. But it can be even more stressful when doctors say they’re ready to go home. Vive Health shares information about the hospital discharge process that caregivers must know in order to help seniors successfully continue their recovery at home   After a stay at the hospital, it’s a relief when seniors are…

6 Ways to Advocate for Seniors and Provide Support During a Hospital Stay

advocate for seniors

Seniors need extra support when they’re in the hospital A stay in the hospital can be confusing, scary, and painful. When your older adult is seriously ill or after a medical emergency, they need extra support during their hospital stay. Having an advocate, emotional support, and extra assistance reduces the risk of common complications like delirium and can help speed up their…

Nurses Tell All: 4 Insider Tips for Better Medical Care

avoid hospitals in july

Hospital insider secrets could save senior lives Nurses are the best sources for learning what really happens in hospitals and medical offices. Doctors rush from patient to patient, but nurses are the ones who spend time with them. They also see what happens behind the scenes. Alexandra Robbins is a writer who spent 4 years interviewing and following nurses for her book.…

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