Hospital-to-Home, Transitional & Postoperative Care
Many of the people in our care are trying to make a simple, safe and smooth transition from a healthcare facility like a hospital to their home.
Our non-medical care model includes services necessary to help patients transition safely out of a facility, including:
What does the term “care transitions” mean?
The term “care transitions” refers to the movement patients make between healthcare practitioners and settings as their condition and care needs change during the course of a chronic or acute illness.
For example, in the course of an acute exacerbation of an illness, a patient might receive care from a General Practitioner (GP) or specialist in an outpatient setting, then transition to a hospital physician and nursing team during an inpatient admission before moving on to yet another care team at a skilled nursing facility. Finally, the patient might return home, where they would receive care from a visiting nurse. Each of these shifts from care providers and settings is defined as a care transition.
Why are hospitals interested in care transitions programs?
Through healthcare reform and new initiatives, the federal government aspires to save billions of dollars in the coming years by leaning on hospitals to lower their preventable readmission rates.
Care transitions programs allow hospitals to focus on reducing those numbers by improving the care coordination for patients between settings, which in turn lessens the likelihood that they will return for a related readmission. The core benefit of these programs for hospitals is that they are relatively low cost to implement and, if successful, they have the potential to produce a good return on investment (ROI) in terms of clinical and financial results.
What are some of the problems with the care continuum between healthcare settings?
Due to the infrastructure of our health care system, patients often encounter fragmented care when moving between healthcare settings. Many elderly patients with chronic illnesses or conditions require care from more than one provider.
The following are some of the contributing outcomes of poor transition management:
How are care transitions initiatives addressing these issues?
Confusion about care management – Patients are often confused about the discharge instructions set out by their care providers. Most elderly patients are contending with multiple chronic diseases/conditions and medications. They are often readmitted for an adverse event within 30 days of discharge because they do not understand or did not follow instructions given to them. If there is no care coordination across settings, there is often conflicting and confusing information in the Care Plan or discharge instructions from different provider settings.
In order to contend with these challenges, care transitions programs are empowering patients and their caregivers to advocate for themselves, since they are the constant thread through the care continuum. These programs are doing this by educating patients and equipping them with tools to manage their own care and prepare them for transfer to and from each setting.
Medication Errors – Care fragmentation impacts many aspects of the care continuum including patient safety. Medication errors account for many unnecessary readmissions to the hospital.
Poor follow up with GP – Another main cause for patients to be readmitted to hospitals is poor follow up with their GP. Frequently patients are scheduled for a follow-up visit after being discharged for a major procedure, such as heart surgery; however, they fail to make their appointment because they either forget about it, can’t drive themselves and/or do not have anyone that can take them.
Alternate Solutions – While hospitals and healthcare professionals are beginning to understand and embrace the idea of better care coordination, they may not see the connection or need for alternative (non-medical) care providers. Hospitals have long seen the connection between discharge and home health settings but there is a void between those services and companion care.
Many hospitals that are interested in improving care transitions are taking a community-based approach to care coordination.
Who are the key players in community-based transitions programs?
To ensure a smooth transition across the care continuum, transitions of care typically involve multiple individuals across many settings. These individuals will include patients, family, health care professionals as well as non-medical community-based providers. While titles and responsibilities may vary from program to program there are three integral roles (in the hospital setting) that will be increasingly important in the development and execution of care transitions programs:
Case Manager – Registered Nurse responsible for providing patient assessment, treatment planning, health planning, health facilitation, and patient advocacy.
Transition Coach – Typically a nurse or a social worker who works for the hospital or Long-Term Care Facility and designated by the program to prepare patients for what to expect in each setting and equips patients with the knowledge and tools required for successful self-management. In addition to transitions coaches, they may be referred to as; patient or care navigators, care intervention specialists, transitions care, coordinators, etc.
When you are discharged from the hospital, the effects of your condition aren't necessarily gone when you return home. This often makes it difficult when trying to adjust back to daily life. Most readmissions are preventable with a little extra attention and care. That's exactly what Right at Home's RightTransitions program offers.
Right at Home can provide services that allow you to get back on your feet and back to your life, including:
Q: What does the term “care transitions” mean?
A: The term care transitions refers to the movement patients make between health care practitioners and settings as their condition and care needs change during the course of a chronic or acute illness. For example, a patient might receive care from a General Practitioner (GP) or specialist in an outpatient setting, then transition to a hospital physician and nursing team during an inpatient admission before moving on to yet another care team at a skilled nursing facility. Finally, the patient might return home, where he or she would receive care from a visiting nurse. Each of these shifts from care providers and settings is defined as a care transition.
Q: Why are hospitals interested in care transitions programs?
A: Impending cuts to Medicare spending will likely motivate hospitals to seek solutions internally for reducing readmission rate since those rates will start to impact the Medicare payments they receive.
Q: Should all hospital readmissions be prevented?
A: No, not all readmissions are preventable. If the cause for the readmission is not tied to the original admission then a patient should not be prevented from returning to the hospital. It may also be necessary to readmit a patient even if the cause is tied to the original cause for admission. The objective for reducing preventable readmission is to increase the patient’s well being while also reducing the hospital’s cost but one should not occur at the expense of the other.
Q: What are some of the problems associated with poor transitions between settings?
A: The following are some of the outcomes associated with poor transition management:
Q: How can Right at Home services help improve transitions of care to effectively reduce the number of preventable readmission rates?
A: Right at Home caregivers may be able to assist patients at home in the following ways:
If you or your loved one is about to leave the hospital after surgery, or they have been in a healthcare facility, here at Right at Home, we can ease the transition as they make their way home.
Our transitional home care can help you to recover at home, offering non-medical care to assist you until you get back on your feet.
It is better for you to recover at home because it gives you a sense of normality. You are more likely to move around at home, rather than just sit in a hospital bed. This helps you to recover more quickly because you will be using your muscles and less likely to lose your muscle strength.
You are also more likely to get a better night’s sleep in your own bed, compared to a busy and noisy ward. Your body recovers more quickly and repairs itself while you sleep, so this is much more conducive to your recuperation.
Risk of infection is reduced at home. When you are in hospital, there are a lot of bugs and your immune system is probably not functioning at its optimum level.
Being in your own surroundings is also a lot more comforting than being in an unfamiliar hospital and can help your mental health.
Transitional care refers to the care patients receive as they move between different healthcare providers and settings. This may be care in an outpatient facility by a doctor, or ongoing treatment from a specialist in a hospital, or care given in the home where the patient may be visited by a nurse.
Having transitional care means you lower the risk of rehospitalization. Not only is this a big bonus for the patient, but it is advantageous to the government because it reduces readmission rates. When care is received at home, it is financially more cost-effective for the government as hospital stays are expensive.
However, sometimes care at home is not always successful because communication breaks down between different care providers and patients can become confused about the care that they need.
Patients can also forget or struggle to get to their follow-up GP appointments because they cannot drive or do not have anyone to give them a lift.
Similarly, errors can be made with medication because patients are not sure when or what they are supposed to take, which in a worst-case scenario can lead to a hospital readmission.
At Right at Home, we coordinate between care providers on behalf of the patient, removing any potential obstacles from their recovery. We also ensure we follow up with families and offer a clear communication line.
We can support patients by transporting them to their follow-up appointments with GPs and other medical providers. We also give reminders about when to take medicine, and we can ensure that it is taken.
As part of our transitional care, we can ensure a patient’s home is kept clean and tidy by completing any housework needed. We also help by preparing meals for patients, to make sure that they are getting a nutritious diet, which is also essential to a successful recovery.
At Right at Home, our regular visits give you peace of mind that your loved one is being properly cared for and receiving any necessary attention.
We work with patients, their families and care providers to ensure a swift recovery. If you feel that this service is something that would be of benefit, please get in touch to find out more or request an assessment.
Right at Home provides home care packages and support services including disability and elderly care as well as transitional home care services. Our locations cover Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Wagga Wagga, Townsville, Toowoomba, Penrith, Cairns and many more!
Fill out the form below and a care team member will get back to you as soon as possible.
Central West New South Wales
Gosford
Hunter & Port Stephens
Macarthur Penrith
Newcastle
Northern Rivers
Padstow St George
Southern NSW
Sydney Central & Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Five Dock
Sydney Inner West
Sydney Liverpool
Sydney Lower North Shore
Sydney Norwest
Sydney Northern Beaches
Sydney Parramatta
Sydney Randwick
Sydney Ryde
Sydney Sutherland Shire
Sydney The Hills
Sydney Upper North Shore
Western NSW
© Copyright 2024 Homecare Group Pty Ltd ABN 31 166 722 658 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Right at Home, Unit 4 16-36 Nile Street Woolloongabba, Brisbane QLD 4102