Seniors For Living

Hospital admissions are either planned or unplanned. Planned hospitalizations are typically for surgery or other non-emergency treatments, while unplanned hospitalizations can be due to an illness, an accident.

Any hospital admission involves significant change and can be very disruptive for anyone, especially seniors and those with dementia.

Some tips for a planned hospital stay for a senior:

Be Prepared – bring an updated list of medications and drug allergies, contact information for your physicians, insurance card and any copies of legal documents such as health care proxies, living wills and do-not-resuscitate orders, if you have them.

Ask questions – Some things to find out: Who can your family contact for health updates and other concerns? When does the attending physician make rounds? When are visiting hours?

Find out about the admission – It sounds simple, but find out and understand why the admission is needed and any treatments or procedures planned so you can understand the risks and prepare your loved one.

Ask about any outpatient treatments – Find out if any of the tests or procedures can be done ahead of the admission or in lieu of the admission to prevent or reduce overnight hospital stays.

Divide the work ahead of time – If you are blessed with a good network of support, divide the tasks of visiting hours ahead of time so one person doesn’t have to do it all. If your loved one is confused or agitated while in the hospital, be prepared to have someone with them around the clock and consider the hiring an outside agency if needed.

Ask for a private room – Many hospitals have all private rooms, but some do not. A lack of privacy all the activity in a semi-private room may be distressing for a confused senior. Note that in hospitals with semi-private rooms, insurance may require medical justification for ordering a private room or it may not be covered.

Change in routine can affect anyone, and when you add the extra stress of being in the hospital it can be hard on a senior. With a little planning, you can make things easier on everyone.

-Elizabeth Thielke