Over 233,000 older Americans were in car accidents that resulted in them being treated for injuries. Many of these accidents are the direct result of diminishing cognitive skills, motor function, and vision. Your dad was in a crash on a snowy road. He’s going to be okay, but he’s coming home from the hospital and is going to need post-hospital care. What services can post-hospital care nurses perform?
In-Home Physical Therapy
Your dad may need to work with a physical therapist while a bone mends. He may need help learning how to use a walker or assistive device after breaking a hip, leg, or ankle.
Instead of having to go to a physical therapist’s office, he could have a physical therapist come to him. It will make it easier and lower the risk of a fall that would put him back in the hospital.
Wound Care Services
Did your dad hit the windshield or framing on his door? Did he require surgery? He may have wounds or incisions that require care and bandage changes. Keeping the area clean and applying fresh bandages is essential if he’s to avoid an infection.
A nurse has the training to remove bandages, check for signs of infection, clean the incision or wound, and rebandage it. If the wound looks abnormally red and puffy, his nurse can talk to the doctor and get prescription antibiotics if needed.
Medication Management
Your dad has to take medications that manage the pain he feels. Those medications may be administered in an IV and tapered off each day or through an oral pill or injection. Nurses can administer his medications in his home, which eliminates the need to go to a clinic or medical office.
As some of the medications your dad takes for pain can be strong, he’ll have a nurse with him to monitor him for side effects. If he’s not reacting well to one medication, his nurse can work on adjusting a dosage or trying something different.
Health Assessments
If your dad had a head injury, someone needs to keep checking him for signs of a concussion. His medical team will advise you on what to look for, but it’s stressful. If you feel better having a professional assessment, post-hospital care services are ideal.
Nurses can check on him every few hours and make sure he’s not showing some of the classic signs of head trauma. If something is wrong, the nurse is there to take action and ensure he gets the care he needs. Your dad’s nurses can check his blood pressure, too. This is important if he is taking prescription pain medications that are known to reduce a person’s blood pressure.
Talk to his doctors about his recovery following his car accident. Once you know what he’s going to need, arrange post-hospital care services that support those care instructions.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Post-Hospital Care in Fontana, CA please contact the caring staff at Calvary Senior Care today. (866) 710-8767
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