When an aging parent is in the hospital, planning for the next step can feel confusing, especially when medical staff start discussing discharge while you’re still catching your breath.
Let’s break down the main care paths that are commonly offered:
Option 1: Going Home Without Services
This is usually suggested if your parent is recovering well and can manage things like meals, hygiene, and medications with minimal help.
You’ll still want to monitor them closely at first just to make sure nothing is missed at home.
Option 2: Heading Home with Care Services
Many seniors go home, but with home health services or a part-time caregiver. They may also need additional therapy such as physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Home health can include nursing visits or other add-on services several times a week.
Personal aides are hired from a home care or caregiving agency, and they help with dressing, bathing, or light housework. This allows your parent to recover at home while still getting support.
Option 3: Short-Term Stay at a Skilled Nursing Facility
If your parent needs more hands-on help, a skilled nursing facility might be recommended.
They’ll receive their needed therapies on-site. Medical care is available 24/7.
Option 4: Inpatient Rehab
This is specialized care and therapy provided in a facility where patients receive intensive, supervised rehabilitation services after being discharged from an acute care hospital. This is a significant level of therapy to regain functional abilities and independence after a surgery, illness, or injury.
Great for post-stroke or joint replacement patients.
Therapy is done for several hours a day in a focused setting.
The best choice depends on the patient’s strength, safety, and goals. An Aging Life Care Manager® from our team can support you through this decision and make sure the plan fits both their medical needs and your family’s capacity to help.
Emily’s Journey to Recovery: Discharge Planning and First Weeks at Home
Last month, Emily and her son, Ben, leaned on the support of their Aging Life Care Manager® as they adjusted to the aftermath of her surgery. With her leg stabilized but her mobility severely restricted, the next step was preparing for what would come after the hospital stay.
Finding the Right Rehab for the Right Start
Once Emily’s doctors cleared her to leave the hospital, the care manager immediately began planning her transition. A regular inpatient rehab would help, but Emily would also benefit from aquatic therapy to ease pressure on her healing bones while strengthening her muscles.
The care manager reached out to several local rehab facilities, talking directly with their physical therapy teams. She was thrilled to find one facility that not only supported aquatic therapy but even offered transportation to an outside pool equipped for therapeutic sessions. After confirming the facility’s quality of care and safety measures, she arranged for Emily’s admission.
At the rehab, Emily worked closely with the physical therapists to rebuild her strength and learn practical strategies for daily needs like safe ways to transfer from bed to wheelchair or navigate the bathroom independently.
Homecoming: A New Set of Challenges
After several weeks of hard work at the inpatient rehab center, Emily was discharged and returned home. While it felt good to leave the facility behind, the reality of home life with limited mobility quickly set in.
Navigating stairs with crutches proved dangerous.
Getting in and out of bed required significant effort and assistance. Simple tasks like cooking, cleaning, and laundry were overwhelming. Thankfully, the care manager had anticipated these hurdles.
Before Emily even crossed the threshold, a temporary wheelchair ramp had been installed, grab bars were mounted in critical areas, and a lightweight wheelchair was ready to help her move longer distances safely. A living space was set up downstairs, eliminating the need to tackle the stairs altogether.
The care manager also arranged for a trusted home care agency to send a caregiving aide three times a week to assist with meals, light housekeeping, and companionship.
Facing Emotional Hurdles Alongside Physical Ones
At first, Emily resisted the idea of help. She had always been active and independent, so it was hard to accept needing assistance for even basic tasks. But after exhausting herself just trying to make breakfast, she admitted the help was necessary.
Physical frustrations weren’t the only battles Emily faced. Pain management was difficult, especially at night. Adjusting to new mobility aids like the wheelchair felt awkward and discouraging. Restlessness and feelings of helplessness began to creep in. She shared with the care manager that she was crying herself to sleep at night.
The care manager recognized the warning signs and offered practical solutions:
- Showing Emily positioning strategies to reduce nighttime discomfort.
- Encouraging safe upper-body exercises to maintain strength.
- Helping her set up social visits with close friends to lift her spirits.
- Building a daily routine that gave her structure and a sense of accomplishment.
- Since she had friends and family in other time zones, they also set her up with an iPad so she could FaceTime with them when others around her were sleeping.
Ben also noticed his mother seemed more irritable than usual. Concerned, he shared his observations with the care manager. She gently suggested counseling support to help Emily process the emotional side of her recovery which Ben and Emily agreed would be helpful. Emily had seen an ad on her Facebook for an Art Therapy program and the care manager checked it out for her and found it to be legitimate. Emily was ecstatic for this option.
Looking Ahead
Though the road to full recovery stretched long before her, Emily no longer felt as alone or overwhelmed. With her care manager, home care team, and son working alongside her, she had a network of support to face both the physical and emotional challenges ahead.
Each day brought new hurdles, but also small victories. And with steady guidance, Emily was learning to reclaim her independence, one step at a time.