Cape Coral Senior Home Care

Hospital-to-Home Transition Care

Transition care—changing a downhill slope to a recovery triumph

You’ve probably seen it with loved ones. An elderly person checks out of a hospital or nursing home only to be readmitted within a few months. During the transition, medications weren’t taken, doctor appointments weren’t made and chronic illnesses weren’t cared for. The downward spiral seems unstoppable, the medical bills never-ending. And you’re at a loss for what to do.

At least one in five people with Medicare are readmitted to the hospital within one month of discharge.

But what if hospital care were different? Instead of sending elderly people home alone with confusing instructions and to-do lists, what if we also sent a coach—a trained expert to guide, encourage and empower? What if that transition care service were affordable?

At Preferred Care at Home, this isn’t a pipe dream. We’re making it a reality through our innovative Smooth-Transition Care program.

What Is Smooth-Transition Care^®?

A transition from a hospital or nursing home can be confusing. You get rehabilitation instructions, prescriptions to fill, follow-up appointments to make. When you get home, you don’t just have to build up your strength, but you’re supposed to remember all these other things—and have the energy to do them. For elderly people, recovery can be even more overwhelming because they’re often alone.

With our Smooth-Transition Care^® program, we’ve addressed each of these problems and developed a solution that helps put patients at ease so they can focus on getting better.

As a Smooth-Transition Care^® client, you’ll receive three tools to help you stay out of the hospital:

1.  A personal, specially trained coach

Your coach will meet you at the hospital, nursing home or other health facility and guide you through the transition process. After your discharge, your coach will meet with you regularly, through phone calls or visits, and make sure you have what you need. For example, your coach may schedule transportation to follow-up appointments, remind you about prescriptions and medication regimens, and make sure your home is safe. Your coach will also provide a listening ear and encouraging words.

2.  A Personal Health Record.

This in-depth, 15-piece tool kit stores the information you need to transition optimally, including medication instructions, appointment dates and test results. Your coach will encourage you to use this tool. The record also includes an easy-to-read symptoms chart that shows when you can wait and see your doctor and when you should call 911. You can view the Personal Health Record and even download the pages for free.

3.  An easily accessible online health record.

No need to tote the Personal Health Record with you to every doctor appointment. As a Smooth-Transition Care^® client, you’ll have exclusive access to your own online health record. Upon your request, your coach will add this information to your secure, password-protected database. You can share it with health care providers and family members who need up-to-date information.

Companion Care

Helping you enjoy life to the fullest

Too often, with age comes loneliness. The feeling that no one cares creeps in. Aging has a way of reminding you of family members and friends who have passed on. You can feel like you’re alone.

Senior women having coffee break

It’s our mission at Preferred Care at Home to alleviate that loneliness and bring joy and companionship. Our caregivers also travel with clients, providing transportation to the theater, doctor, church or coffee shop.

Companion care is available from 1 hour to 24 hours. It’s an excellent choice for seniors who live alone or don’t have a lot of family and friends nearby. It also works well for short-term respite care. The primary caregiver gets a much-needed break, and the senior loved one has fun interacting with another caring person.

Preferred Care at Home’s extensive senior companion care services include meal monitoring, transportation planning visits and trips, help with minor tasks, and of course, companionship. Here is the full list of services included:

Personal Interaction:

• Engaging in companionship and conversation
• Reminiscing about the past
• Discussing current and historical events
• Playing games and cards
• Renting and playing movies
• Maintaining a family scrapbook
• Encouraging participation with crafts
• Helping read
• Directing morning wake-up and evening tuck-in
• Helping select clothes
• Mailing letters and bills
• Monitoring eating patterns and diet
• Inspecting food expiration dates
• Maintaining a calendar
• Arranging appointments and providing reminders

Social Interaction:

• Planning visits, outings and trips
• Visiting neighbors and friends
• Encouraging interaction with loved ones
• Encouraging participation in and assisting with community activities
• Monitoring visitors
• Providing incidental transportation with caregiver to:
  – Doctor appointments
  – The pharmacy
  – Social outings
  – Lunch or dinner
  – Plays and concerts
  – Movies
  – Religious services
  – Sporting events
  – Club meetings

Homemaker Care

Helping you find joy in your house again

As we age, a big part of happiness depends on being comfortable and cared for at home. Home is where memories have been made, and are still being created.

When caring for the home becomes a burden the unwelcome thought of moving strikes.

Should you live in a home you’re unhappy with—one that’s getting cluttered and dusty because you can’t do the chores like you used to? Should you learn to cope with eating less because it’s difficult to shop and cook? Should you give up your pet because you can’t care for it? Should you put up with wrinkled or dirty clothes?

Should you move away from home?

There is another option: Preferred Care at Home’s homemaker care. We make your house into that special place again. We do the chores and provide those tender loving touches that make you comfortable. Ultimately, our homemaker care can help you or a loved one remain where you want to be—home.

Other people who enjoy our homemaker care services include:

• Family caregivers
  Let us take care of the mundane day-to-day tasks so you have more energy to focus on what’s important.
• Elderly parents resistant to other care
  If your parent would benefit from personal or companion care but is reluctant to accept it, why not introduce the concept gently through homemaker care?

Our homemaker care includes the following services.

General Homemaker Care:

• Recording and arranging recipes
• Preparing grocery lists
• Clipping coupons for shopping
• Shopping for and/or escorting to get groceries and supplies
• Preparing, serving and cleaning up after meals
• Preparing meals for future use

Light Housekeeping:

• Organizing and cleaning closets
• Dusting furniture
• Sweeping and vacuuming floors
• Taking out garbage
• Watering house plants
• Assisting with pet care

Laundering:

• Washing, folding and ironing clothes
• Changing linens and making beds
• Dropping off and picking up dry cleaning