After a Hospital Stay: Is Assisted Living Next?
What Happens After a Hospital Stay When a Senior Needs More Help?
A hospital stay can change a senior living plan very quickly. Someone who was managing at home before a fall, infection or surgery may leave the hospital needing help with mobility, medication, bathing or other daily tasks.
Assisted living may be one option, but it is not the same as short term rehabilitation or skilled nursing care. The right destination depends on what the person can safely do when the hospital is ready to discharge them.
Start With the Hospital Discharge Plan
Hospitals usually begin planning for discharge before the patient actually leaves.
Ask the discharge planner what level of help is expected over the next several weeks. Find out whether the person needs skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy or help with ordinary daily activities.
Medicare describes skilled nursing facility care as short term nursing and therapy provided when someone needs professional skilled services following illness or injury. Inpatient rehabilitation is another distinct level of treatment for people who require an intensive rehabilitation program and continued medical supervision.
Assisted living serves a different purpose.
Ask Whether the Previous Living Arrangement Still Works
A senior may have lived alone successfully before the hospital stay but return with new limitations.
Look at walking, transferring, dressing, bathing, medication routines and the ability to respond in an emergency. Also consider whether temporary weakness is likely to improve with rehabilitation.
Family members should avoid making the decision solely from how someone functioned before hospitalization. The practical issue is what they can safely manage now.
Assisted Living Requires an Assessment
Families should contact prospective assisted living communities as early as possible if that appears to be the likely next step.
SLS Communities provides assisted living with personalized service plans designed around each resident’s needs. Its assisted living services include help with daily routines, meals, housekeeping, transportation and an emergency call system, depending on community and individual needs.
Do not assume that a room can be chosen first and the care details worked out later. The community needs accurate information about mobility, personal care, medications and other needs before confirming that assisted living is suitable.
Understand Recovery Versus Long Term Support
A person recovering from surgery may need services that are temporary. Another senior may discover that the hospital stay exposed difficulties that were already developing at home.
That distinction matters.
Short term rehabilitation focuses on recovery and therapy. Assisted living focuses on ongoing help with daily routines while supporting as much independence as possible.
Some people may move from the hospital to rehabilitation and then return home. Others may use rehabilitation as a bridge before moving to assisted living. Medicare notes that skilled nursing services following hospitalization are designed as temporary medical and rehabilitation care rather than permanent custodial living.
Plan for Changing Care Needs
A good plan should look beyond discharge day.
SLS operates Arizona communities offering independent living, assisted living and memory care across its locations. That gives families different options when needs change, although the exact services and availability vary by community.
Ask what would happen if mobility improves after rehabilitation or if additional help becomes necessary later. Find out how changes in care are assessed and whether another apartment or level of living might eventually be required.
Bring the Right Information to the Conversation
When contacting a senior living community, have the hospital discharge information, medication list, mobility status and relevant medical instructions available.
Also be clear about what the person could do before hospitalization. That helps everyone understand whether the current limitations are new or part of a longer pattern.
Families should include the senior in the discussion whenever possible. A safe plan works better when the person understands why each option is being considered.
Talk With SLS Communities About the Next Step
SLS Communities provides independent living, assisted living and memory care at locations in Mesa, Surprise, Peoria, Sedona and Youngtown. If a hospital stay has changed what you or a family member needs, call SLS Communities at 480 348 0300 to discuss available levels of living, arrange a tour and learn what information the community will need before a move can be considered.
References
SLS Communities Assisted Living
SLS Communities: Choosing the Right Type of Senior Living
Medicare: Skilled Nursing Facility Care
Medicare: Inpatient Rehabilitation Care
