5 Tips to Navigate Your Next Hospital & Nursing Home Stay Like a Pro
These 5 tips will have you navigating your next hospital and nursing home stay like a professional.
Over the last few years, my dad has had about 4 hospitalizations, 2 nursing home stays, an ER visit or 2, multiple home care visits, and many many home visits from EMS. Recently, he broke his hip which led to another hospital and nursing home stay.
Each time I learn something new and every experience gives me more and more empathy as a healthcare provider working with caregivers and families.
I hope these lessons I’ve learned are helpful and while I hope you don’t need them… the reality is that you also have aging relatives in your life just like me...and this will become invaluable information in your healthcare tool belt.
For most people, there’s no course in navigating the healthcare system or how to get the right care. But you have me! Grateful for my 11+ years working in the healthcare system plus my personal knowledge of caregiving for a parent with Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s dementia, that has helped me advocate for my parents. Save these tips below!
Bring a medication list and 1-week supply of medication.
Bring your medications to the hospital and nursing home? I know I know. Sometimes, the hospital or nursing home pharmacy may not carry all the meds your loved one is taking. My dad is taking a specific pill to manage his hallucinations and we had to bring the bottle to the hospital and nursing home, because they couldn’t get it from their in-house pharmacy.
At the very minimum, always have a list of current medications (including the dose & schedule). If you’re hesitant to bring your medications to the nursing home or hospital, you can always call the nurses station to confirm they have all your necessary medications in stock
2. Have your paperwork in order.
Power of attorney.
Living will.
DNR/DNI orders in place? aka do not resuscitate/do not intubate.
Are these terms familiar? If not, check out this quick read later. These are very important medical documents that spell out your healthcare wishes in the case you cannot make decisions for yourself or are in a life-threatening emergency. Hospitalization or not, please make sure your parents and grandparents have these papers completed! The hospital and nursing home will absolutely need to know this information.
Remember that time the hospital tried to force my family to sign a DNR/DNI to take out my dad’s feeding tube. Absolutely not!! Know your loved one’s wishes so they get the correct care.
3. Have a goal and know the prior level of function.
I was asked the same questions about 5 different times from different providers - admitting nurse, PT, OT, nurse practitioner and the aides:
Did your Dad walk before?
Is the goal to get him home?
How did he get in and out of bed?
Can he eat? How does he take medications?
What does he like to do for fun? Can he read?
Does he know his name? His family?
If you don’t have a goal or know what your loved one was doing before this hospital or facility stay - you better believe the healthcare team will decide for you.
I was VERY CLEAR the goal is to get my dad out of bed and walking daily... and we will not tolerate a bedbound status. Be clear (and realistic) about your goals.
4. Ask about the discharge plan.
Ask to speak with the social worker, case manager, rehab therapists, and/or the discharge planning team. Ask -
How long do you anticipate their stay? Are there any insurance limitations?
What is their anticipated progress in therapy?
What is the next level of care?
Do your own research for assisted livings, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, and home care facilities if they’re included in the next level of care. Collaborate with the hospital or nursing home social worker. Know where your loved one is going to stay and what the reputation/ratings are. If your loved one is coming home, ask:
What equipment or supervision is needed?
Will you provide us with any equipment on discharge?
What day/time is the discharge and do you provide transportation?
The discharge process can happen fast. And you may receive a lot of information from many different providers. It can be hard to remember everything that was said or recommended. Get everything in writing. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to slow down when talking or to explain information in simpler terms!
5. Get to know the healthcare team.
Become a known face around the facility. Speak to the people who work with your loved one - nurses at the nurses station, the aides who help with feeding and dressing, the rehab team, the nurse practitioner, facility administrator, and anyone else who is responsible for the care of your loved one.
When there is an active and strong caregiver presence, you will often get a higher level of care and attention to detail. I wish this wasn’t always the case, but unfortunately for many facilities in the U.S.... it is. Facilities are often understaffed and/or over-admitting patients… which leads to an unbalanced provider to patient ratio. Everyone suffers.
Ask for phone numbers and put yours on the bulletin board. Consider having a secondary or third contact. My mom has me listed so the nursing home often calls me instead of my mom, which gives her a bit of a caregiving rest.
As a healthcare provider who has been on both sides of the coin… stay involved in your loved one’s care, understand their medical diagnosis, and a thank you goes a long way.
If you’d like to talk more about yours or your loved one’s healthcare needs, caregiving tips & resources, or speech therapy - learn about our services tailored to you - here.
*Article last updated 9/2024
