Let’s Get Personal About Care When You Need It

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Have you ever been the one who has been the “go to” person for another when they were admitted to a hospital?  Have you ever needed help from someone when you were in the hospital? Today we’ll discuss “Care” – for you or by you.

If you haven’t experienced this role as yet, you may not understand how it shakes out in real life.  It is quite a wake-up call.  Let’s forgo the emotional duress for a minute and dig into the “administrative” components of care.

Overwhelm is real.  Be alert and take time for your own care amidst time of caring for another – being rested goes a long way toward maintaining equilibrium and making clear choices/decisions.

Here is a list of three issues to get you started if you have time to plan for admission.

  1. Information
    1. Do bring an ID, insurance information, list of past surgeries and current medical conditions, a list of medications, vitamins/supplements currently taken *& any known allergies you have, access to your residence (see Logistics), the name(s) of your physician(s), a copy of your Advanced Health Care Directive and contact information for those named in your health care Power of Attorney. ** The Living Planner© provides layperson information about Advanced Health Care Directive’s – what they mean and how they work.
    2. Don’t bring valuables (watches, jewelry, wallet)
  2. Logistics
    1. Transportation to/from hospital. **This gets tricky when you have no idea about the date/time of discharge.  Do you have people nearby with clear schedules to help you?  Can you arrange for a 3rd party service provider to take you home?  Do you have access to your residence?  Often times discharge is not planned well in advance.  Scheduling with others to help you requires flexibility and understanding on all sides.
    2. Care at home. Navigating stairs can be a burden.  Is going home your best bet or will you require on-site assistance to get back on your feet?  Are you able to get around on your own?  Do you need help with “activities of daily living” (ADL’s)?  Before admission, plan for your return home to get the ball rolling with PT, OT, home health and other medical/non-medical care providers to assist you after discharge.
  3. Equipment – If you are not up and about as normal after hospitalization you may want to look into equipment to help you function and get around when you’re back home. It relieves lots of stress to make decisions in advance and figure out if you will borrow, rent or purchase.
    1. Walker (with and/or without a seat)
    2. Wheelchair
    3. Grab bars
    4. Shower seat
    5. Grabbers
    6. Dressing aids
    7. Raised toilet seat

What’s next on the horizon is known and unknown.  Planning the little things in our day to day lives at home and work is what we love to do at The Living Planner©.  Contact us to learn more about how we work with individuals, business owners and employees via Email or online @ The Living Planner  #AreYouReady #CareForPeopleCareForBusiness

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