Hospital Sitters

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in requests for caregivers to serve as hospital sitters.  This is a trend that spans across hospitals and home care agencies nationwide.  The increased use of hospital sitters results from the growing senior population, longer lifespans, geographically dispersed family members and limitations in the quality of care provided by hospitals due to reduced staff and expenses.  

Hospital sitters can provide a patient with comfort and peace of mind during their hospital stay.  A hospital sitter provides companionship and provides assistance with personal care, mobility exercise and other activities to keep patients safe and  comfortable while also providing the patient with someone who can help speed up their recovery progress.

A sitter offers round-the-clock companionship, which improves patient health and safety (they can summon a nurse immediately if there is a medical emergency), reduces patient boredom or depression (they converse with, read to, or run errands for the client) and allows family members to go home and rest, knowing their loved one will not be left alone. Hospital sitters are also often hired when family members do not live close by.  Individuals with impaired mental states like those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, or individuals with infections such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), benefit immensely from a hospital sitter because they can be monitored around the clock. 

"There is an increased need and request for one-on-one care or sitters in these facilities,” said Dr. David B. Carr, MD.  “It is critical that these individuals are highly qualified, well trained, and are in tune to the specific and unique needs of these patients that are at high risk for falls, fractures, dehydration and pneumonia. Any intervention where a sitter would be allowed to intervene and assist in the prevention of these common issues in our older adults would make a major impact on reducing these complications and the risk for iatrogenic illness.”

Hospital sitters also play an important role once the patient is discharged. Many sitters go home with the patient to assist with their transition and recovery. The sitter becomes
familiar with the type of care the patient needs and the rehabilitative exercises and other recommendations that need to be followed.  The hospital sitter has now transitioned to become the patient’s caregiver, assisting with their recovery and minimizing the risk of an ER visit or readmission.

For more information on my company, and the hospital sitter and caregiving services we provide, please visit us at www.homecareassistance.com. You can also
call 1-866-4-LiveIn or 314-863-8989 to speak with a care manager to help with urgent scheduling matters.

For more information on Dr. Carr and his medical specialties, awards, achievements
and honors, please visit: http://wuphysicians.wustl.edu/physician2.aspx?PhysNum=1107.