Q: I hear from friends how stressful and confusing hospital visits can be. How can I better prepare myself in case my husband or I need a hospital stay?
A: A hospital stay can be stressful and often not what we expect. People frequently call Senior Concerns when their loved one is hospitalized they seek help at navigating what they need to know. It can help to be prepared and better understand the process and options during and after a hospital stay.
If you find yourself in a hospital know you are in an environment with highly trained medical professionals with specialized equipment. With a little extra understanding and advocacy, you can get the most benefit from your hospital stay.
Start by preparing ahead of time, just in case. We make plans for emergencies and think through what we will do in an evacuation or power outage, and a hospital stay should be the same. Keep a current list of medications and any medical paperwork such as your insurance cards, photo ID, and Advanced Healthcare Directive easily available to you. Consider keeping a copy in your car or taking a photo so it is always on your phone.
Take any needed items with you, such as glasses, hearing aids, and toiletries. Leave valuable things at home.
Take notes, write down your questions, and review all the information you are given. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, ask a trusted friend or family member to be present to help. It can be overwhelming, and often, our memories will not be exact. Your conversations with the doctors will be short and quick, so be prepared and write down everything to refer to.
Often, staff will start talking about discharge at the beginning of the stay. It should be part of the discussion so you can prepare and know your options. It is important to understand what care you or your loved one will need after discharge, how that will be set up, and who will pay for it. If there are medication changes, be sure to fully understand them, as well as what follow-up is needed.
If you feel rushed, pause and ask the person talking to you to slow down. Repeat what you heard to clarify you understand the instructions correctly.
Senior Concerns is offering a seminar over Zoom on this very topic. The title is “The Hospital Stay and Beyond! What you need to know to navigate the hospital and discharge process”. It will be held on Tuesday, February 18, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. You can register online at https://www.seniorconcerns.org/programs/seminars/ or by calling 805-497-0189.
Both Katie Wiltfong and Ellen Henahan will be presenting the seminar. Wiltfong, MSW, is a Medical Social Worker with 15 years of experience. She is the Director of Palliative Care and Social Services for Buena Vista Home Health and Hospice. She also is the co-founder of My Solo Aging Solutions. Henehan, RN and CHPN, has an extensive career working as a nurse in the field of end-of-life care. She has worked for Buena Vista Hospice and, most recently, as a Palliative Care nurse for Los Robles Regional Medical Center.
They will explain what happens when you go to the emergency room, help explain the roles of the hospital staff, and share what you need to know to prepare for discharge and how to be your own best advocate.
Consider a hospital stay an almost inevitable part of aging. Creating a plan and understanding how to navigate the stay will, hopefully, reduce stress hopefully both now and in the event of a hospitalization.
Martha Shapiro can be reached at Senior Concerns at 805-497-0189 or by email at mshapiro@seniorconcerns.org.
