According to a recent article on USA Today’s website, an astonishing one-third of hospital patients older than 70 leave more frail than when they arrived. Further research shows that even after they are released, nursing home care or rehabilitation can be necessary. The elder care experts quoted in the article believe that this is a result of “conventional hospital care focusing on treating disease rather than preventing frailty.”
So what can be done to help better the quality of care our elderly are receiving? Many hospitals have implemented walking programs to help get the seniors out of bed and moving—a simple form of light exercise that really benefits seniors who are recovering from illness. Offering better food and more comfortable surroundings are also actions that are being implemented in hospitals across the country but have been slow to catch on everywhere.
Of course, hiring a professional caregiver like the ones employed at FirstLight Home Care can really benefit a senior recovering from a minor or serious illness. Caregivers can be hired on an hourly basis so that helps to keep costs down. To read more about what hospitals are doing to develop their business models to cater to the aging population, check out the article here.