Upper Moreland, PA, Senior Care Experts Work to Reduce Local Hospitalizations This Winter

Hospitalizations are a serious concern for area seniors. Rather than a hospital stay beginning the road to a full and successful recovery, many of those who return home fail to successfully return to their pre-hospital level of health and activity. But what if nearly half of these hospitalizations could be prevented, as recent research suggests*? What if by families simply being more active in our loved ones care and activities, we could identify and act on warning signs and prevent a potentially debilitating hospitalization?

This winter – as the rate of senior hospitalization typically reaches its highest point of the year – the Home Instead Senior Care serving Levittown, PA, and surrounding areas, has committed to reducing area hospitalizations through the launch of a new informational campaign aimed at educating families how to help aging loved ones remain healthy at home year-round.

There are many things families can do to help keep their senior loved ones out of the hospital. In fact, in a new study of nurses who work primarily with seniors, 99 percent say that the role families play in keeping seniors out of the hospital is just as important as the role of the medical community. From monitoring their taking of prescribed medications for chronic conditions to attending doctors’ visits and checking in to ensure doctors’ instructions are followed, their role as a medical advocate is critical.

To help family members identify and act on potential warning signs, Home Instead is offering Five Ways to Prevent Senior Hospitalizations guide, developed in partnership with Dr. Carolyn Clevenger, incoming president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA). This free resource includes information about common risk factors and the steps that families can take to help ensure a healthy lifestyle.

Additional free family resources can be found at www.preventseniorhospitalizations.com. To obtain a copy of the guide or to learn more about how you can help keep your senior loved one out of the hospital this winter, please call (215) 943-7700.

* Home Instead, Inc. completed telephone interviews with a random sample of 400 nurses who work with seniors in North America. The nurses surveyed work in the following community-based settings: hospitals; doctor offices and clinics; adult day care; and home health companies.