Henry County Medical Center

SUM 2016

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

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1 1 w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m S U M M E R 2 016 S P I R I T O F W O M E N N o matter how positive your experience is during a hospital stay, that's rarely the best place for your long-term recovery from an illness or injury. "There are sick people here," says registered nurse Joan Wills, who is the regional assistant vice president of geriatrics at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J. "You're much better off at home." But as many as 1 in 5 patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge for some of the most common conditions treated in hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. For the elderly, these return hospital trips pose a risk of developing a dependence on hospital care, and even a three-day stay in a hospital bed can be debilitating for older patients, says Wills. Let's take a look at the best ways to reduce the risk that you or a loved one will need to be readmitted after a hospital stay. SPEAK UP Ask questions during the hospital discharge process, and make sure they are answered to your satisfaction. "You must be an advocate for yourself," says Dr. Kristyn Greifer, vice president of Population Health Management, WellStar Health System and medical director of WellStar Health Network, Marietta, Ga. "Talk to your doctor. Ask a million questions. If your doctor isn't listening, get another doctor." It's especially critical that all questions related to medication are answered, says Wills. "Sometimes a patient's prescription is changed upon discharge, but [the patient] takes the new medication as well as the old," she explains. Don't be afraid to voice concerns to other members of your medical team as well, says Dr. Pamela Vallejo- Craig, an internal medicine specialist affiliated with Parkview Medical Center, Pueblo, Colo. She adds that "there must be an open communication channel between the patient and her doctor and nurses, and even the pharmacist that will fill her prescriptions." GET INSTRUCTIONS IN WRITING The hours leading up to and following discharge can be confusing—and that's when you'll probably receive important aftercare instructions. Always make sure that you or a loved one goes home with written instructions about medication, diet and other restrictions that you can review with a clear head later on. "Many of our patients are very independent, but they go home alone," says Wills, who recommends that patients post aftercare instructions on the refrigerator or another focal point in the home. In addition, many physicians, such as Dr. Vallejo-Craig, call their patients within several days of discharge to see how they're doing, but don't rely on that phone call. Make sure you leave the hospital with a phone number or point of contact, so you can follow up if you haven't heard from your primary care physician within seven to 14 days, says Dr. Greifer. BRING AN ADVOCATE If you're coming out of surgery, you may be confused or distracted by the effects of painkillers, physical discomfort or anesthesia. Having a friend or family member with you at discharge can help you ask better questions and retain more information, even if you feel perfectly capable of following aftercare instructions. "Two sets of ears are better than one," says Dr. Vallejo-Craig. The same is true for patients who face language barriers or other communication challenges; in fact, many hospitals can provide an interpreter for those patients whose first language isn't English. "I recommend against having a family member interpret, because they might not understand the medicine," says Dr. Greifer. "Hospitals have access to medically trained interpreters who can better understand your needs. Just ask." ACCEPT AFTERCARE HELP When recovery is particularly challenging, your healthcare providers might recommend discharge to a physical rehabilitation facility or home visits by a nurse as an interim step to full independence. That may not be what you were hoping to hear, but if your medical team feels you need the additional help, refusing it could land you right back in the hospital in days or weeks. Dr. Vallejo-Craig, for example, cites a patient who thought he'd be fine at home alone after an amputation. "He was back three weeks later with an infection," she says. "The second time out, he agreed to accept help." The good news is that technology is now playing a bigger role in making aftercare more convenient. "Skype and telemedicine enable nurses to see the patient and check vital signs and ask about her weight and what she had for dinner and how her recovery's going," Wills says, which makes support less intrusive and more desirable for many patients. "For too long, the hospital was in a silo by itself," she adds. "The only concern was what was happening in its walls. We now understand that we're really part of the much larger recovery process, wherever it takes place." • SHUTTERSTOCK

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